The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has reported a dramatic surge in the number of people charged with strangulation and suffocation since it became a specific criminal act. New figures show a staggering increase, highlighting a growing recognition of this dangerous form of domestic violence.
A Terrifying and Escalating Form of Abuse
According to the CPS, 8,545 charges were brought for the standalone offence of strangulation and suffocation in the 12 months from April 2024 to March 2025. This marks a huge leap from the 1,483 charges recorded between July 2022 and March 2023, the first period after the law was introduced. The upward trend continues, with 2,656 charges filed between April and June of this year alone.
Kate Brown, the CPS's chief crown prosecutor and domestic abuse lead, emphasised the severity of the crime. "Strangulation is a terrifying form of abuse and control that often signals escalating violence and extreme risk to victims," she stated. Brown was keen to dispel a dangerous myth, adding: "There is no safe way to strangle someone - that is a myth that puts lives at risk."
A Legal Shift to Reflect Gravity
The offence of strangulation and suffocation came into force as a standalone crime in June 2022 under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Prior to this change, such acts were often prosecuted as common assault, a charge the CPS said failed to reflect the "gravity of harm or the risk posed to victims". The new law carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
The CPS data indicates that nine in 10 strangulation incidents are linked to domestic abuse. The agency also notes that this violence frequently co-occurs with other crimes, including coercive control, sexual offences, and image-based abuse.
Government and Prosecutorial Response
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves commented on the patterns seen in these cases, noting: "Strangulations are rarely isolated incidents. Victims are often subjected to sustained physical and psychological abuse, causing long-lasting harm and destroying lives." She reaffirmed the government's commitment to halving violence against women and girls.
The CPS attributes the sharp rise in charges to a "growing recognition" of the offence and its determination to tackle violence against women and girls. Kate Brown said the increase shows prosecutors are "using the law as intended - to hold offenders to account and to protect victims from further harm." This effort is part of the wider Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan.
In a related move earlier this month, the government launched a new strategy to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG), overseen by safeguarding minister Jess Philips. Key elements of this strategy include plans to ban the depiction of strangulation in pornography and introduce mandatory guidance in secondary schools on the links between pornography and misogyny.
