Domestic abuse training: Strangulation is hard to spot and hard to prove

(MarkCoffeyPhoto / Getty Images)Idaho Matters will be talking about domestic violence and sexual assault, and some of what we’ll be talking about is hard to listen to. Listener discretion advised.When police respond to a 911 call of domestic violence, they may find someone who has been slapped, punched, or kicked by their partner, and officers and doctors can see very clear physical evidence of the assault.But there’s one form of violence that’s hard to spot and hard to prove, and it’s often a precursor to domestic homicide.Choking or strangling someone often leaves little visible evidence, and if officials aren’t trained to look for the signs, the victim may end up back at the mercy of their abuser. Research shows that someone who survives being strangled once is 750% more likely to be murdered by the same person.The city of Nampa is trying to change that statistic and recently held training for police, doctors, prosecutors and survivors to stop this cycle of violence.Jeannie Strohmeyer, the executive director of the Nampa Family Justice Center, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, call (208) 475-5700 or visit the Nampa Family Justice Center.