Law Enforcement

What impact does the traumatizing and terrifying nature of strangulation have on the initiation, identification, investigation, and prosecution of a criminal case? This powerful and escalated form of violence is a vivid preview to show a victim the fate they face if they do not comply. Although dangerous and sometimes deadly, victims of strangulation frequently lack obvious signs of external injury, often leaving marks on the perpetrator as they fight for their life. Without proper understanding of these injuries, investigations are often misdirected and can result in a failed prosecution or the arrest of a victim. This training will provide guidance on how to identify and document valuable evidence often overlooked by law enforcement and prosecutors.

Part one will give the audience a lens to see into the mind of an abuser. As a result, practitioners will be better equipped to understand the motives and strategies that perpetrators use to manipulate victims and the criminal justice system.

Part two will discuss the impact that strangulation has on a victim as they experience an assault as well as the control that surrounds their journey into the criminal system. As a result, practitioners will be able to overcome common challenges, prioritize victim safety, and hold offenders accountable.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify common strategies that offenders use to prevent reporting

2. Discuss the difference between an interrogation and interview.

3. Identify common injuries on the suspect in a strangulation assault.

4. Identify common defenses used in asphyxiation cases.

This project was supported by Subgrant Number 36156 awarded to PCCD by the Federal Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice’s STOP Formula Grant Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the reviews of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the U.S. Department of Justice.