Strengthening the first response
Join a practical Tasmanian forum for frontline professionals responding to non-fatal strangulation in family and sexual violence contexts.
Non-fatal strangulation can be difficult to identify, but the first response can shape a victim-survivor’s pathway to safety, health and justice. This sector-wide event brings together leading legal, medical, research, paramedic, neuropsychology, lived-experience and specialist family and sexual violence voices to build a more confident, coordinated response across Tasmania.
This event is designed for general practitioners, ambulance and paramedic staff, police, emergency department clinicians, forensic and medical practitioners, and family and sexual violence workers who may be a first point of contact after non-fatal strangulation.
Register now to secure your place!
Be part of a more informed, coordinated and effective response to non-fatal strangulation in Tasmania.
Date: Wednesday 7 October 2026
Time: 10:00am – 2:30pm
Venue: Moonah Arts Centre, 23–27 Albert Road, Moonah
We recommend booking early as these events generally book out.
For further information on the forum, please contact: julie@pcfsv.org.au.
Non-fatal strangulation is a serious indicator of escalating risk and can have immediate, delayed and long-term health impacts. Injuries may not be visible, symptoms can be missed, and victim-survivors may need timely, skilled and coordinated support.
This forum will help strengthen confidence to recognise signs and symptoms, understand risk, document concerns clearly, refer safely and contribute to a more consistent first-response system in Tasmania.
- A clearer understanding of non-fatal strangulation as a high-risk form of family and sexual violence.
- Practical knowledge to identify signs and symptoms, including when injuries are not visible.
- Greater confidence in referral pathways, forensic medical examination processes and access to care.
- Stronger documentation practices that support safety, continuity of care and justice outcomes.
- Shared language and stronger cross-sector connections across Tasmania’s response workforce.
Learn from an expert line-up bringing together law, medicine, research, neuropsychology, paramedicine and lived experience:
- Professor Heather Douglas, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne — leading author on non-fatal strangulation
- Dr Meredith Stronach, Tasmanian General Practitioner and Forensic Medical Examiner
- Dr Christine Padgett, Lecturer at UTAS, Psychologist and brain injury researcher
- Dr Chantal Roddy, Clinical Neuropsychologist at Mindset Neuropsychology
- Ben Plant, Paramedic and advocate, Ambulance Tasmania
- Erin Giles — lived-experience advocate for change
This non-fatal strangulation forum is for professionals who may respond at the scene, in general practice, in an emergency department, through investigation, during forensic medical assessment, or through ongoing specialist family and sexual violence support.
If your work supports victim-survivors after violence, this forum will help connect your role with the wider safety net.
For more information contact julie@pcfsv.org.au.
Be part of a more informed, coordinated and effective response to non-fatal strangulation in Tasmania.