Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Non-lethal strangulation doubles the risk of domestic homicide, but isn’t always easy to see

byMichael Crutcher
1 May 2019 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 4 mins read
AA

Shocking acts: “There is much more of a control aspect to strangulation than there is to something like a perpetrator lashing out at their partner. And the law now sees it in that higher category which is important.”

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Shocking acts: “There is much more of a control aspect to strangulation than there is to something like a perpetrator lashing out at their partner. And the law now sees it in that higher category which is important.”

ARCHDIOCESE of Brisbane frontline domestic violence workers have urged a closer focus on strangulation in a bid to lower the number of fatalities in Queensland homes.

Centacare’s Family and Relationships Services say any evidence of non-lethal strangulation places a victim immediately in a “high-risk” domestic violence situation.

Their urgings are supported by a State Government advisory board that has issued a recent report warning that “more needs to be done to identify and respond to non-lethal strangulation”.

The Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board has supported a review of the legislation around non-lethal strangulation.

Queensland was the first state to introduce a stand-alone offence for non-lethal strangulation in a domestic violence context and the “vast majority” of those found guilty are jailed, according to the advisory board.

The board has made five new recommendations to the State Government around strangulation, including a need to improve resources for police and health professionals.

“There are still issues in service responses when non-lethal strangulation occurs,” the advisory board’s report stated.

“In one particular case after a near-fatal assault, attending paramedics and police focused on transporting the perpetrator to hospital for mental health treatment.

“They were dismissive of the physical impact of this near lethal strangulation episode.”

Centacare’s frontline team, whose work across the Brisbane archdiocese includes support for victims and their children, and programs for perpetrators, has highlighted its concerns around strangulation as Queensland marks May as Domestic and Family Violence Protection Month.

Related Stories

Rain or shine, Logan deanery brings families together at festival day

Laudato Si’ plan commits Brisbane to long-term “ecological conversion”

New Brisbane schools leader inspired by courage of St Mary MacKillop

“Our risk assessment pushes strangulation immediately to a level of high risk,” Centacare’s Sunshine Coast Regional Domestic and Family Violence Service co-ordinator Angela Short said.

“We’re learning more all the time about strangulation, and more work needs to be done.

“It’s not always easy to see. Sometimes, it’s an invisible injury.”

The advisory board’s findings back up Centacare’s on-the-ground observations.

The board’s 2017-18 review, released weeks ago, found that the risk of a homicide in domestic relationships doubled when non-lethal strangulation was present.

This makes its detection vital in taking proactive measures to protect vulnerable partners.

Centacare Family and Relationship Services’ Wayne McTaggart said frontline workers continued to learn more about strangulation.

“There is much more of a control aspect to strangulation than there is to something like a perpetrator lashing out at their partner,” he said.

“And the law now sees it in that higher category, which is important.

“We’re also seeing that the main cause to strangulation is not addiction or drugs. There is much more to it than that.

“At the core of strangulation is power, intimidation and control.”

The advisory board’s 13 new recommendations to the State Government to improve the safety of vulnerable partners included five relating to non-lethal strangulation.

They included:

  • Closer examination by Queensland Health and the Queensland Police Service of the role of clinical forensic evidence in securing convictions for non-lethal strangulation 
  • That Queensland Health explore opportunities to increase public health clinicians’ (including ambulance officers, accident and emergency staff, drug and alcohol services, mental health clinicians) knowledge of the signs of, and appropriate responses to, non-lethal strangulation
  • That police evaluate existing training to increase frontline responding officers’ knowledge of the signs of, and appropriate responses to, non-lethal strangulation.
  • That Queensland Health explore better ways to share data with relevant departments to improve the evidence base regarding ongoing health impacts of non-lethal strangulation

That the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners explore opportunities to increase general practitioners’ knowledge of the signs of, and appropriate responses to, non-lethal strangulation including appropriate referral pathways.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Seeking the Divine Mercy of God in the suburbs, Eileen Hearn wants to share the joy of life with all

Next Post

United in prayer for Sri Lankan communities in the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks

Michael Crutcher

Related Posts

Rain or shine, Logan deanery brings families together at festival day
QLD

Rain or shine, Logan deanery brings families together at festival day

7 June 2022
Laudato Si’ plan commits Brisbane to long-term “ecological conversion”

Laudato Si’ plan commits Brisbane to long-term “ecological conversion”

6 June 2022 - Updated on 7 June 2022
New Brisbane schools leader inspired by courage of St Mary MacKillop
Education

New Brisbane schools leader inspired by courage of St Mary MacKillop

3 June 2022
Next Post

United in prayer for Sri Lankan communities in the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks

Call for better palliative care availability, many terminally ill patients die before receiving access

Biloela protest

Biloela community makes fresh moves to keep Tamil family in town after Sri Lanka terror attack

Popular News

  • Performer: Liza is a trained gymnast and contortionist and has enjoyed performing at St Eugene College.

    Young Ukrainian performer settles into new life in Brisbane school

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Abdallah family deliver powerful Vatican speech

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, Pope says in follow-up letter to Traditionis Custodes

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Federal and state parliamentarians encourage pro-life Queenslanders at March for Life rally

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Christianity still top, but numbers decline amidst a secular shift

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Braving the cold: Caloundra Unity College Principal Daniel McShea ,Our Lady of the Rosary College Principal Dr Michael Stewart and Caloundra priest Fr Joshua Whitehead.

Fr Josh braves ‘freezing’ June night to raise awareness for homelessness at Vinnies Sleepout

by Hannah Kennelly
30 June 2022
0

WHEN asked if this year’s CEO Vinnies Sleepout was easier than the last, Caloundra priest Fr Joshua...

Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, Pope says in follow-up letter to Traditionis Custodes

Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, Pope says in follow-up letter to Traditionis Custodes

30 June 2022
Performer: Liza is a trained gymnast and contortionist and has enjoyed performing at St Eugene College.

Young Ukrainian performer settles into new life in Brisbane school

29 June 2022
Secret baptisms show how Christians still persecuted worldwide

Secret baptisms show how Christians still persecuted worldwide

29 June 2022
Tragedy: Debra Ponce, left, and Angelita Olvera of San Antonio mourn near the scene where dozens of immigrants were found dead inside a trailer truck a day earlier on June 28. Photo: CNS

Pope Francis asks for prayers after 50 migrants found dead in Texas trailer truck

29 June 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping