The Scottish Government have been urged by an active petition to make non-fatal strangulation (NFS) a stand-alone criminal offence after finding that one in four women experience or have suffered from strangulation or suffocation.
The reasons to support this proposal state that any perpetrators could and should be charged and prosecuted even in the absence of physical injuries. Without those injuries, it is still considered physical abuse, and it will establish a support system where victim protection is strengthened and the consequences for current and future perpetrators are strict.
The overall impact that strangulation can cause is life-threatening in many ways, triggering things such as long-term physical and mental health problems, brain damage, and organ failure, and the chances of strokes and neurological disorders are higher.
This petition comes after acknowledging that Scotland should be standing alongside the other UK Nations that already have the NFS law or one very similar to it in place. This issue stems from a lot of young adults falling victim to this traumatising experience. This is the case for the petition’s creator, Fiona Drouet, who sadly lost her daughter, Emily, after she was subjected to a campaign of abuse and violence by her boyfriend and fellow student.
The possibility of women being a target for others to inflict violence, causing lifelong mental, physical and emotional damage must be addressed. The petition created by The Emily Test, an ally of Action Against Stalking has raised the alarm for more improvement and better safety for all. This also allows victims to recover without shame or guilt and will show that Scotland is committed to addressing domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
You can learn more about the NFS petition and The Emily Test’s work by getting involved with their Gender-Based Violence Charter – https://www.emilytest.org