Non-Fatal Strangulation & Suffocation

Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) is a known way for perpetrators of domestic abuse to control and intimidate their victims. It is an insidious form of domestic abuse which recently became a standalone criminal offence which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment. 

Despite the strong link between NFS and domestic homicide, it can be difficult to identify, due to a lack of visible injury. Lack of injury does not mean that the attack was less serious or less dangerous, or that it will be easy to “get over” psychologically. People have been killed by strangulation without there being any visible injury.

NFS is the obstruction of blood vessels and/or the airway by external pressure to the neck, resulting in a decreased oxygen supply to the brain. Suffocation is sometimes referred to as asphyxiation and is different to strangulation. Suffocation deprives a person of the air needed for normal breathing.

• Experiencing NFS significantly increases the risk of being killed; domestic homicide reviews show victims of NFS are 7 times more likely to be killed at a later date.

• 1 in 4 women who access community and refuge-based services report to have experienced strangulation or suffocation.

• Strangulation or suffocation are common methods of killing females, second to sharp-instrument injuries such as stabbing.