Strangulation survivors welcome new Sentencing Council guidelines

Warning: This article contains descriptions of crimes that may upset some readers

“This should not be ignored as a small crime, when this happened to me I thought I would die.”

The words of Sophie Hansen, 24, who said she felt reassured to see the justice system now “taking strangulation seriously”.

She was strangled by her former partner when she was 36 weeks pregnant and at a remote place away from her home.

She and other strangulation survivors have welcomed new guidance on punishing offenders after the Sentencing Council – which promotes transparency and consistency – issued the first recommendations for judges and magistrates in Wales and England.

Sophie, from Bridgend, said: “I felt like a dead fish, my mouth was open, my body was very loose.”

Her former partner Zac Pennell was convicted of both coercive control and intentional strangulation in January, with a 21-month sentence.

“It was heartbreaking. I thought it was too little punishment for how dangerous it was.”

“I think the new guidance will help people get justice, it will be taken seriously and it’s a positive step forward,” he said.

He described strangulation as an “up close and personal attack” that can and does kill.

This comes after an earlier announcement Jealous ex-partners who beat or strangle their victims will face tough prison sentences.

• Until now there was no guidance for judges on what kind of punishment to give to those found guilty of strangulation or suffocation.

• New recommendations provide guidance on conviction and sentence length

• This includes aggravating details or aggravating factors such as the presence of children, or if the victim is pregnant at the time of the crime.

• It also highlights factors that reduce severity, including remorse, mental disorder or learning disability

• The new guidelines will come into effect from January 1.

Rachel Williams, a domestic abuse victim and campaigner who played a key role in bringing crimes to justice, was shot by ex-husband in 2011 And walked away with life-changing injuries.

The offenses were created by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and came into force on 7 June 2022.

However, these crimes are not limited to domestic abuse situations.

Non-fatal strangulation is not a specific crime in Scotland, Although this is under consideration.

“Six weeks before the shooting, I was so brutally strangled that I decided to leave the relationship,” Rachel said.

“It woke up my kids from the upstairs bedroom and one of them said they thought they could hear a pig squealing because of the noise I was making,” she said.

He said the guidelines for victims and survivors were long pending.

“The criminal justice system is in a bad state right now as we continue to see criminals not being held accountable for their actions.”

“Hopefully this will mean a custodial sentence and the message will be sent that this is serious and you will be given a tough sentence,” he said.

He said the change could encourage more victims to report attacks to police and other services.

“Time will tell: we’re fed up with lip service – action is needed. If we see more perpetrators of non-fatal strangulation going to court, we’ll have more confidence in it.”

Sentencing Council member Johanna Robinson called the new guidelines “a really important recognition of the harm caused by strangulation and suffocation.”

“Signs of physical harm may be quite limited, but it can lead to stroke, brain injury and death,” he said.

“I think people can’t estimate how often this happens because of the lack of physical signs.”

Ms Robinson, who is also the Welsh Government’s national adviser on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, said recognizing the harm caused, both physical and psychological, is key to the guidance.

He added, “It also encourages judges to look for signs of planning and intent to cause serious harm, and question whether there is a separate charge of attempted murder.”

She said she understands the frustration behind the wait for the guidelines to be introduced. But along with work in the courts, there were also processes such as consultation with the public and experts.

“I hope this will send a strong message and in turn lead to prevention. However, public campaigns and education are also important to help people understand the risks.”

Professor Katherine White, medical director of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the guideline development.”

“We hope this will help to dispel common misconceptions about this act, such as a tendency to overestimate the possibility of visible external injury, a lack of understanding about the extent of potential internal injury as a result of strangulation, and “Lack of appreciation of the inherent harm caused by the act of strangulation regardless of evidence of physical injury.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help and support can be found here bbc action line,