UK HealthCare, Ky. AG collaborate on state’s first-ever toolkit to protect from strangulation
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 16, 2025) — Providers from UK HealthCare collaborated with Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and other agencies on the Commonwealth’s first-ever toolkit to combat the crime of strangulation.
The manual, entitled “Responding to Strangulation in Kentucky: Guidelines for Prosecutors, Law Enforcement, Health Care Providers and Victim Advocates” identifies the signs of strangulation for medical professionals and law enforcement. It also shares strategies to effectively prosecute cases under Kentucky law and how advocates should engage with victims who suffered this specific crime. This toolkit one of the first of its kind across the country.
In 2019, the Kentucky General Assembly passed the Commonwealth’s first statute on strangulation, making it a serious felony. According to the manual, strangulation is one of the most accurate predictors for the subsequent homicide of victims of domestic violence. It’s also one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence. Young girls raised in an abusive home where they witness domestic violence are six times more likely to be abused than a girl who grows up in a home without abuse; young boys who are exposed to domestic violence in childhood are nearly 10 times more likely to become abusers themselves in adulthood.
“Strangulation is a cruel and brutal crime. Because of the difficulties identifying the visible and non visible signs of the abuse, it has been challenging to investigate and prosecute. This manual aims to end that,” said Attorney General Coleman. “With the collaboration of this outstanding team from diverse backgrounds, we have developed a comprehensive guide to help protect victims and prosecute offenders. This manual will help our partners across Kentucky keep this Commonwealth safe.”
For more than a year, a multidisciplinary team of Kentucky professionals, experts and public servants developed the manual, including the Attorney General’s Office, the Boone County Attorney’s Office, Louisville Metro Police Department, The Nest in Lexington, Kentucky Children’s Hospital with UK HealthCare, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Northern Kentucky.
“The collaborative between the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, the Office of the Attorney General and others to launch the Kentucky Manual on the Investigation and Prosecution of Strangulation further positions UK, UK HealthCare and the Commonwealth of Kentucky as national leaders in work to aid our children and families,” said Robert S. DiPaola, M.D., UK co-executive vice president for health affairs.
“Given that victims of strangulation may have no outward sign of injury can be challenging for medical professionals in regard to how to assess victims,” said Christina Howard, M.D., medical director of the Kentucky Children’s Kosair for Kids Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Families. “This manual will help to ensure that all victims of strangulation across the entire state receive care according to best practices.”
Read Responding to Strangulation in Kentucky: Guidelines for Prosecutors, Law Enforcement, Health Care Providers and Victim Advocates and watch the press conference.
In August, Attorney General Coleman released the 2024 Domestic Violence Prosecution Manual.
If you have been a victim of a crime, contact the Attorney General’s Victim Resource and Referral Line at (800) 372-2551.
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As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.