Sydney police investigate death of teen girl from suspected choking during sex
The girl, 16, was airlifted to hospital after she was found unconscious on Sunday, but died on Tuesday.
Sydney authorities are looking into the death of a 16-year-old girl, which is suspected to have resulted from choking during sexual activity.
The teenager was transported to the hospital by helicopter on Sunday and passed away on Tuesday.
Local news outlets report that Sydney police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl, believed to be linked to choking during sex. Emergency services were called to a residence in Elanora Heights, located in Sydney's Northern Beaches, around 5:45 PM local time on Sunday. There, the girl was discovered unconscious.
Police confirmed that she received on-scene treatment before being airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital in critical condition. She succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday night. It is understood that she lost consciousness after being choked during sex.
Experts note an increase in sexual strangulation among young Australians, despite known risks such as headaches, memory loss, brain damage, and, in rare instances, death.
While police have not officially disclosed the cause of death or the nature of her injuries, police sources have informed several local news organizations, including the national broadcaster ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald, that she is thought to have been choked during sex.
Chanel Contos, a sexual consent advocate, stated that the girl's death was "likely preventable" and accused pornography companies of having "blood on their hands."
She asserted, "Mainstream pornography routinely depicts violence against women — slapping, strangling, and other abuse — while showing women as enjoying or accepting it." Contos added, "This is not the first tragedy of its kind and it won't be the last."
Contos, 28, established the Teach Us Consent organization in 2021. This followed her initiation of a national dialogue on consent after hundreds of young people reported experiencing sexual assault during their school years.
She emphasized that there is no safe method for engaging in choking during sex, despite recent research indicating that some young people perceive the act as risky but safe.
"Even when young people believe they are consenting, they're often uninformed about its potential consequences, which are fatal at worst, and can cause permanent brain injury even when there are no visible signs of harm," Contos explained.
A 2024 report from the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland revealed that over half (57%) of Australians aged 18 to 35 had experienced strangulation during sex at least once. The survey, which included 4,700 young people, also found that one-third of those who had been choked during sex were between 19 and 21 years old when they first encountered the act.