Strangulation survivor urges stricter sentencing as crime reports increase

Strangulation survivor urges stricter sentencing as crime reports increaseImage caption, Rachel was strangled by her partner as part of an 18-year abusive relationshipByGemma DunstanBBC WalesPublished51 minutes agoA woman who was strangled during an 18-year abusive relationship has welcomed new figures showing the offence is being increasingly recognised and reported.More than 44,000 reports of strangulation were made to police in the past year in England and Wales, according to a new report., externalRachel Williams said it was good news the offence was being taken seriously after becoming a standalone criminal offence four years ago, and that its effects can be catastrophic.She added there was always more action to be taken to protect victims, and wants to see robust sentences for convicted perpetrators. Warning: This article contains distressing descriptions of domestic violenceImage source, Rachel WilliamsImage caption, Rachel says her ex-partner, pictured with her here in the pub, made light of strangulation, even mimicking it in publicWilliams, a domestic abuse survivor and campaigner, was instrumental in introducing the offences into law.She was shot by her ex-husband in 2011 after he burst into her Newport hair salon and left her with life-changing injuries."Six weeks before the shooting, I was strangled so furiously that's what made me decide to leave the relationship," she said."It woke my kids up from the bedroom upstairs and one of them said they thought they could hear a pig squealing because of the noise I was making."She said it had happened on numerous occasions but had felt it was not a "big deal" as it often only left her with a sore throat.She said she did not realise the effects it could have which, according to the NHS, include strokes, brain injuries and long-term cognitive issues.She said it was a key factor behind her campaigning for the law change as she "didn't realise how close to death she was&...