A CHARITY patron from Oxford has helped lead a campaign which will clamp down on domestic abuse.

Non-fatal strangulation will now be deemed an offence, with abusers who strangle their partners in an attempt to control or induce fear now facing up to five years behind bars.

The new offence came into force yesterday, thanks to the help of Julia Drown – who was a Labour MP for South Swindon between 1997 and 2005.

Ms Drown, who now lives in Headington, first became involved in supporting victims during her time as an MP, when one of her constituent’s sister and nephew were killed in a domestic homicide.

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She said: “We wanted a campaign, and since then we’ve kept in touch.

“It’s been great to get support from organisations in Oxfordshire – we’ve had much support from various individuals and organisations.

“I had no idea how frequent strangling is. It’s frightening that so many people are not safe at home, and that attacks mean they may die – and some do.

“Victims really should seek out help – there can be really dangerous side effects such as brain injuries.

“It’s really hard to get support, but there is help out there, through causes like the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

“People don’t realise that even a fatal strangulation can leave no mark.”

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Non-fatal strangulation has now been made a specific offence as part of the Domestic Abuse Act.

It followed concerns that perpetrators were avoiding punishment as strangling can often leave no visible injury, making it harder to prosecute under existing offences such as actual bodily harm (ABH). 

The new offence will also apply to British nationals abroad, meaning perpetrators can be prosecuted in England and Wales for offences committed overseas.

Ms Drown, who is a patron of the charity, Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, campaigned with Stand Up to Domestic Abuse, survivors of strangulation and suffocation, lawyers, doctors, domestic abuse support workers and politicians to get the law changed.

She said: “I was horrified when I learnt about the dangers of strangulation and how widespread it is.

“The last two years, I have dedicated most of my time to getting this into law and implemented well.

“This could help save people from the trauma of being coerced and controlled, and ultimately will save lives.

“Staff working in this field are dedicated and overworked. Much more needs to be done to reduce the violence that women and girls experience, but I hope this new offence will be one of many steps that will help.”

  • If you require support, contact the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

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This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.

Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice