First Arrest And Charge Under Non-Fatal Strangulation Law

A 47-year-old man has become the first alleged abuser to be detained under Northern Ireland's newly introduced non-fatal strangulation law.

The man was arrested and charged in Fermanagh for a number of offences including non-fatal strangulation against a 45 year old female. He appeared before Strabane court on Thursday, 29th June. As is normal procedure all charges are reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

The arrest and charge is the first since non-fatal strangulation or asphyxiation (under The Justice Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims Act NI 2022) was made a specific criminal offence in Northern Ireland, punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment, on Monday, 26 June.

Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher from the Service’s Public Protection Branch said: "On Monday, we communicated to the public about a landmark piece of legislation being made operational in Northern Ireland.

"Already, we have been able to act in safeguarding a potential victim and make the first arrest and charge of this nature.

"This only serves to reiterate our commitment to tackling this horrific crime. It will not be tolerated in our communities. Over 1,500 frontline officers and staff have already been trained to recognise and respond and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring potential offenders to justice."

Throughout this week and beyond Police will be continuing to work with partners to raise awareness of this crime type and encourage more victims to come forward.