Kentucky Attorney General Releases Kentucky's First-Ever Toolkit to Protect from Strangulation

The manual shares strategies to effectively prosecute cases under Kentucky law

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2025) – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman released the Commonwealth’s first-ever toolkit to combat the horrific crime of strangulation during an event today at the University of Kentucky’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington. The Manual, “Responding to Strangulation in Kentucky: Guidelines for Prosecutors, Law Enforcement, Health Care Providers and Victim Advocates” is 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.

The majority of all police officers killed in the line of duty are killed by men who have strangled women, according to The Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention.

“Strangulation is a cruel and brutal crime. Because of the difficulties identifying the visible and nonvisible 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.”  

The Manual 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.

If you have been a victim of a crime, contact the Attorney General’s Victim Resource and Referral Line at (800) 372-2551.

Read Responding to Strangulation in Kentucky: Guidelines for Prosecutors, Law Enforcement, Health Care Providers and Victim Advocates and watch the press conference. 

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 regards to how to assess victims.  This manual will help to ensure that all victims of strangulation across the entire state receive care according to best practices.” said Christina Howard, M.D. Medical Director of the Kentucky Children’s Kosair for Kids Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Families. 

“Before the strangulation statue became law in 2019, I saw first-hand the struggles the law enforcement community across Kentucky faced when investigating strangulations,” said Louisville Metro Police Department Sergeant Sarah Mantle. “With this Manual, agencies across Kentucky will finally have direction when responding to and investigating strangulations; training will be more consistent and victim-centered, and relations between law enforcement and survivors of domestic violence will continue to improve as officers learn the true dynamics involved in strangulations.”

“The most dangerous domestic violence offenders strangle their victims. The most violent rapists strangle their victims. It used to be thought that all abusers were equal. They are not,” wrote Casey Gwinn, President of Alliance for HOPE International, Gael Strack, CEO of Alliance for HOPE International and Craig Kinsbury, Chief of Twin Falls Police Department, Idaho in Police Chief Magazine. “Research has now made clear that when a man puts his hands around a woman’s neck, he has just raised his hand and said, ‘I’M A KILLER.’ He is more likely to kill police officers, to kill children, and to later kill his partner. So, when you hear ‘He chocked me,’ now you know…you are at the edge of a homicide.” Gwinn, Strack and the Alliance for HOPE International joined Attorney General Coleman’s multidisciplinary team to develop Kentucky’s Manual.   

In August, Attorney General Coleman released the 2024 Domestic Violence Prosecution Manual.