Non-fatal strangulation in sexual assault : a study of clinical and assault characteristics highlighting the role of intimate partner violence Renate R. Zilkens, Maureen A. Phillips, Maire C. Kelly, Aqif Mukhtar, James B. Semmens & Debbie A. Smith
Material type:
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2016, 43: 1-7
This article reports the findings from a cross-sectional study using data routinely collected at time of forensic examination of 1064 women (age ≥ 13 years) referred to the Western Australian SARC between Jan 2009 and Mar 2015 alleging a recent sexual assault.
• 7.4% of all female sexual assault cases involved non-fatal strangulation (NFS). • 58% of non-fatal strangulation sexual assault cases involved intimate partners.
• 23% of sexual assaults by an intimate partner involved NFS.
• NFS was most frequent in 30–39 year olds sexually assaulted by an intimate partner.
• External physical signs of NFS were absent in 49% who gave a history of NFS.
(From the abstract). Record #5075