Choking a partner during sex without consent could be illegal under new domestic abuse law

Word on the street is that choking a partner during sex without consent could become illegal under new domestic abuse legislation. Watchdogs are allegedly proposing it becomes a specific criminal offence - with new evidence showing one in five sex assault victims are strangled by their partner.

Currently, choking is only punishable under common assault law and results in a maximum of six months in prison. But campaigners say domestic abusers are rarely prosecuted as they pretend violent choking is part of consensual sex play.

Strangulation rarely leaves a sign of injury and is often dismissed by police. Apparently, it's a common assault alongside a slap.

After being stabbed, it is the second most common death for women as a result of domestic violence. It is also a known "red flag" for homicide. Attacks on women involving choking increased the risk of death by 700%. In 2018, a third of women murdered in the UK were strangled or suffocated - whereas in male murders the same year, this makes up only 3%.