Trigger Warning: This article contains references to the sexual violence involving a minor that some readers may find distressing.
The death of a 16-year-old girl from Sydney, Australia, is reportedly being treated as a suspected s*xual strangulation case.
Emergency services responded to a welfare check report on a residence in Elanora Heights in Sydney’s northern beaches on Sunday, August 23, in the evening, according to New South Wales Police. NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived just after 5.15 p.m. after receiving a report of a teen girl having a seizure. Upon arrival, paramedics found the girl unresponsive.
They reportedly treated the girl at the scene before she was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition. She was pronounced dead two days later, on Tuesday night, authorities said.
NSW police said in a statement, “Officers attached to northern beaches police area command commenced an investigation into the incident.” So far, no arrests or charges have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
View this post on Instagram
Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of her death or further details of her injuries. According to multiple reports, including ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald, citing sources with knowledge of the matter, the young girl is believed to have died due to asphyxiation during s*xual intercourse, which is also referred to as “choking.”
S*xual consent advocate Chanel Contos believes the young girl’s death was preventable and pinned the blame on po***graphy companies, saying they “have blood on their hands.”
“Mainstream po***graphy routinely depicts violence against women – slapping, strangling, and other abuse – while showing women as enjoying or accepting it,” she said, according to the BBC, adding, “This is not the first tragedy of its kind and it won’t be the last.”
Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s federal social services minister, expressed concerns over the rise of s*xual strangulation among young people.
She told ABC radio, “I can’t say anything obviously about this tragic situation in NSW, but in general terms, figures like that just concern me so deeply.”
Tanya Plibersek added that almost 60% had reported experiencing choking in a recent s*xual encounter. “There is no safe way of choking someone. I’m pleading with parents and schools today to use every opportunity to have really direct conversations with young people. Kids are getting their s*x education from po***graphy before they’ve had their first k*ss.
Independent federal MP Zali Steggall, in a statement, called the 16-year-old’s death “devastating,” and told ABC, “It’s just so horrific, and I can’t begin to imagine the trauma for her family and what they’re going through.”
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently verify the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.
