Published date:
Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna, has welcomed a new law around non-fatal strangulation which comes into effect in Northern Ireland on June 26th 2023.
Non-fatal strangulation has been made a specific offence as part of the Justice (Sexual offences & trafficking victims) Act (NI) 2022 and could mean that attackers could face up to 14 years in prison.
It has been a challenge to prosecute this offence under previous legislation as there needed to be proof of intent to commit an indictable offence. This new legislation means that non-fatal strangulation is now a standalone offence.
Ms Hanna said: “Any move that offers greater protection to vulnerable victims is to be welcomed whole-heartedly.
“There is a lot of misinformation about this offence, for example a lot of people don’t realise that it is common for strangulation to leave no visible signs of injury and consequences can be delayed by days or even weeks. This new legislation will hopefully go a long way in tackling those myths and in making everyone aware of this crime and just how dangerous it really is.”
The PSNI attend a domestic abuse call on average every 16 minutes and a significant number of those calls will result in a current or historical disclosure of some form of strangulation.
Non-fatal strangulation is seen as a red flag for escalating violence in intimate partner relationships and a possible indicator for future risk of murder or attempted murder.
Ms Hanna continued: “There is still work to be done to increase awareness and embed best practice across all organisations including the police, the courts and the health service.
“I hope this new law will address the historic inadequacies in legislation regarding the act of choking or strangulation and send a clear message that those committing such offences will face the full force of the law.”