What is non-fatal strangulation and/or suffocation?
Non-fatal strangulation and/or suffocation (NFSS) is one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence in Aotearoa. It’s been recognised as a criminal offence, punishable by up to seven years in jail, since 2018.
NFSS can have significant long and short term psychological and physical impacts on a person. People who experience NFSS by a current or former intimate partner face a significantly increased risk of severe injury or death.
We provide an NFSS education and accreditation programme to ensure clinicians can provide expert therapeutic medical and forensic assessments of NFSS, and expert medico-legal opinions to inform:
the patients/victims
NZ Police, and
any legal counsel who are part of litigation activities resulting from NFSS incidents.
The NFSS programme
We offer an education and accreditation programme to train and support clinicians caring for people who have experienced NFSS.
The programme is presented in five modules. As a whole, these modules make up the key components of our non-fatal strangulation and/or suffocation accreditation pathway.
Module 1
You’re entitled to access module 1 if you’re a registered doctor or nurse working in Aotearoa New Zealand – meaning you’re currently working:
in an acute care setting, like an ED, A&M clinic or GP clinic, and have an independent role in assessing patients with injuries
as a Police Medical Officer (PMO)
in a funded Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment Service (SAATS).
This module takes about 1-2 hours to complete, and is available online through our learning management system (LMS).
Module 1: An Introduction to Non-Fatal Strangulation and Suffocation in the NZ Context
Modules 2 and 3
Modules 2 and 3 – which is made up of two separate sections, 3a and 3b – are available to clinicians who have completed module 1, and who are:
registered doctors and nurses on a MEDSAC accreditation pathway, who are working in funded Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment services (SAATS)
Police Medical Officers (PMOs) who have an expert role in assessing patients who have experienced NFSS.
Each module takes 1-2 hours to complete, and all are available online through our LMS.
Module 2: Injury documentation and interpretation: non-fatal strangulation and suffocation
Module 3a: Expert report writing for cases involving non-fatal strangulation and suffocation
Module 3b: Expert report writing for standalone non-fatal strangulation and suffocation
Module 4
Unlike modules 1-3, module 4 consists of an 8 hour in-person training day. You can sign up for module 4 if you’ve completed modules 1-3, and you are:
a Police Medical Officer (PMO)
an NFSSAS contracted clinician who holds a current MEDSAC sexual assault accreditation, and intends to complete the mentoring requirements for accreditation in NFSS assessments
a SAATS clinician who holds a current MEDSAC sexual assault accreditation, and who:
intends to complete the mentoring requirements for accreditation in NFSS within the context of a sexual assault
has completed a minimum of one NFSS case within sexual assault examination.
Module 4: Forensic medical assessment and treatment of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation