Strangulation Training, 26th March 2020, Merchant Hotel, Belfast

Posted on February 18, 2020

Strangulation has been identified as one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence and sexual assault: unconsciousness may occur within seconds and death within minutes. When domestic violence perpetrators choke (strangle) their victims, especially to the point of unconsciousness, it is not only a crime but it may be an attempted homicide. Strangulation is an ultimate form of power and control that can have a devastating psychological effect on victims. The inability to breathe is one of the most terrifying events a person can endure.


COURSE DESCRIPTION

Gael Strack, J.D. Strangulation Institute San Diego, is a leading expert in the field of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation assaults in intimate partner violence cases, who will share her expertise and cover the following:

  • Findings from a study of 300 misdemeanour strangulation cases
  • Understanding the lethality of strangulation
  • Link to other crimes, police shootings and mass murders
  • Identifying the signs and symptoms of strangulation cases
  • Anatomy and medical aspects in surviving and non-surviving victims
  • Investigating and documenting Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Strangulation cases
  • Legal aspects of strangulation cases with surviving victims
  • Developing and using experts in court
  • Advocating for traumatised victims
  • Resources and handouts developed by the Institute

“For many years, we didn’t realise the seriousness of strangulation due to the lack of visible injuries and the lack of training. We would see it in police reports and hear victims say over and over, ‘He choked me’. But it wasn’t until the deaths of two teenagers in San Diego in 1995 that we started to put it all together. Today, we know that strangulation is one of the most accurate predictors for a subsequent homicide. If a victim is strangled even one time, she is 7x more likely to be killed by her abuser. Even If the victim is lucky enough to survive, she may have still suffered brain damage due to the lack of oxygen, other internal injuries, delayed or long-term consequences.”

Gael Strack, Esq., CEO & Casey Gwinn, Esq., President
Alliance for HOPE International & the Strangulation Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Any professional handling sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse or human trafficking. (Police, Legal Professionals, Judges, Lawyers, Solicitors, Court Staff, Probation, Support Workers, Medical Providers, Paramedics, Advocates, Psychologists) ** Info on CPD points to follow **