Sarahcl

I do strangulation exams as part of my job. I have taken extensive training in strangulation and am qualified to testify as an expert in strangulation cases. The general public has no idea how bad this epidemic has become, how many women and girls this is happening to, or how dangerous this is. I share facts about it sometimes like men who strangle women are twice as likely to be involved in a mass shooting or to kill a cop. Women who are strangled by their partners are 750% more likely to be killed by that partner. I tell people that death by strangulation can occur in just minutes, under a minute if you hit the right nerve bundles that lead to certain arrhythmias. I also tell them that a woman can die from a strangulation event up to one year after the event and that a pregnant woman who has been strangled is at high risk of pregnancy loss for weeks after the strangulation event. Strangulation can lead to brain damage, physical disability, stroke, pregnancy loss, and death. I tell people that there is no safe way to strangle and that nobody has the ability to consent to being murdered, and consent is not an excuse for murder, if someone were to consent to this it is incumbent on the would be murderer to use self discipline and restraint, because a person’s “consent” to being murdered is not going to be recognized by any court as a legitimate excuse. Nobody can consent to being killed. When I tell people these things, a very few are appreciative, mostly women, some are interested, men and women, and some attack me for being stupid and not knowing what I am talking about, apparently days of professional training and hundreds of exams performed mean nothing to the “experts” of X. Those that attack are mostly men. Some argue with me about dumb things, like my insistence to call strangulation what it is. Strangulation is not choking, choking is not strangulation, these are two different types of ways to block an airway but they are not the same. That is what people argue with me about the most. They insist on using incorrect language and then provide me with a weak google link picture of a choke hold to try to prove it’s the same. So then it becomes me explaining that a choke hold is called a chokehold but it is not choking it is strangulation and that blows their minds and I am met with silence or swears. This is an incredibly important issue that needs to be discussed but it is very contentious and the defenders of strangulation can turn into rabid dogs very quickly. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciate the effort you are taking here, that you are raising awareness and that you are using accurate language and data. It’s really important that we change the narrative around this subject. I would like to share this resource with you, I’m not sure if you are aware of them or not, but this was the group that did my training on strangulation. They go all over the US teaching medical professionals and law enforcement about strangulation and they have a ton of information and resources on their website. You might find them useful. Thank you for talking about this. strangulationtraininginstitu…