Strangulation survivor urges stricter sentencing as crime reports increase

Image caption, Rachel was strangled by her partner as part of an 18-year abusive relationship By Gemma Dunstan BBC Wales Published 53 minutes ago A woman who was strangled during an 18-year abusive relationship has welcomed new figures showing the offence is being increasingly recognised and reported. More than 44,000 reports of strangulation were made to police in the past year in England and Wales, according to a new report. , external Rachel Williams said it was good news the offence was being taken seriously after becoming a standalone criminal offence four years ago, and that its effects can be catastrophic. She added there was always more action to be taken to protect victims, and wants to see robust sentences for convicted perpetrators. Warning: This article contains distressing descriptions of domestic violence Image source, Rachel Williams Image caption, Rachel says her ex-partner, pictured with her here in the pub, made light of strangulation, even mimicking it in public Williams, a domestic abuse survivor and campaigner, was instrumental in introducing the offences into law. She was shot by her ex-husband in 2011 after he burst into her Newport hair salon and left her with life-changing injuries. "Six weeks before the shooting, I was strangled so furiously that's what made me decide to leave the relationship," she said. "It woke my kids up from the bedroom upstairs and one of them said they thought they could hear a pig squealing because of the noise I was making." She said it had happened on numerous occasions but had felt it was not a "big deal" as it often only left her with a sore throat. She said she did not realise the effects it could have which, according to the NHS, include strokes, brain injuries and long-term cognitive issues. She said it was a key factor behind her campaigning for the law change as she "didn't realise how close to death she was" with his hands around her neck. Williams said: "It's great to see the figures in this report, which show the awareness is out there and victims are seeing the seriousness and deciding to report this." But she believes the actual figures are much higher due to not all people feeling they can report it to the police. Image source, Rachel Williams Image caption, Rachel Williams was in her hair salon when her abusive ex-husband burst in with a gun and shot her The Institute for Addressing Strangulation , external (IFAS) was created in October 2022 with funding from the Home Office. Their new impact report, released this week, highlights the UK's understanding and response to strangulation four years since the law was introduced. It includes data from police forces which they say shows a 13% increase in reports from the year before, and that there have been 24,446 offences prosecuted by the CPS since the offence was introduced. Dr Helen Bichard, a principal clinical psychologist with North Wales Brain Injury Service, was involved in the original funding bid which led to the creation of t