Rachel Williams, who endured 18 years of domestic abuse including frequent strangulation, has welcomed recent data indicating that this form of violence is being identified and reported more frequently. Across England and Wales, police recorded over 44,000 incidents of strangulation in the last year. Williams, who campaigned for the act to become a specific crime four years ago, insists that authorities must now prioritize harsher sentencing for offenders.
Reflecting on her own experience, Williams recalled being strangled by her former husband in 2011, an act that finally spurred her to escape the relationship before he eventually shot her in her hair salon. She admitted that she initially underestimated the danger of strangulation, unaware of the potential for strokes, brain damage, and long-term cognitive impairment. The Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS), supported by Home Office funding, recently published an impact report revealing a 13% increase in police reports and over 24,000 prosecutions since the law was enacted.
Medical experts, including Dr. Helen Bichard, emphasize that non-fatal strangulation often lacks external markings but causes severe internal harm. Consequently, IFAS has implemented new guidelines for healthcare professionals to better recognize and treat these injuries. While government ministers and survivor advocates celebrate the progress in awareness and inter-agency collaboration, they maintain that more effort is required to fully combat this dangerous form of abuse.
