Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
· collected 2026-08-26 · by Jack Gramenz
A 16-year-old girl died in hospital two days after being found unresponsive during a choking act during sex at an Elanora Heights residence. The incident is under investigation by police, who believe the teenager was engaged in a choking act with her partner on Sunday night. Researchers have warned that strangulation can result in brain injuries and death, even if consensual, and that many young people are engaging in it due to online pornography, with 50% of those surveyed having tried it partly because they believed it could be done safely. The study's lead author argues that there is no safe way to engage in strangulation during sex and that its normalisation in young people's lives is a serious concern.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl on Sydney’s northern beaches after a suspected choking act during sex.
asserted
Police → investigate → sex
The teenager died in hospital two days after emergency services responded to a concern for welfare at an Elanora Heights on Sunday night.
asserted
services → die → night
They found the girl unresponsive.
asserted
girl → find → ?
She was flown in a critical condition to Royal North Shore Hospital, where she died on Tuesday night.
asserted
she → fly → night
Two sources with knowledge of the case confirmed the teenager is believed to have engaged in a choking act during sex.
asserted
teenager → confirm → sex
Warnings about sexual strangulation have increased amid scrutiny of violent online pornography, which experts say has warped young people’s understanding of sex and normalised concerning behaviour.
asserted
experts → increase → behaviour
Consent education advocate Chanel Contos said she was devastated by news of the teen’s death: “This just feels insanely preventable.”
asserted
This → say → death
“There is no safe way to engage in strangulation during sex, and unfortunately, mainly because of pornography, where young people are learning and mimicking scripts from that, this act that was traditionally on the fringes of kink culture has made its way into the mainstream,” the Teach Us Consent founder said.
asserted
founder → be → mainstream
“We need to seriously investigate the impact that pornography is having on shaping the sexual scripts and behaviours of young people.”
asserted
pornography → need → people
Researchers at the University of Melbourne and University of Queensland reported in 2024 that about 50 per cent of young people had engaged in choking or strangulation during sex, partly because many people mistakenly believe it can be done safely.
asserted
it → report → sex
“And there’s really no reason to think that the effects of strangulation would be any different if the strangulation was consensual or otherwise,” the study’s lead author, University of Melbourne Professor Heather Douglas, said.
asserted
author → ’ → Melbourne
“Even lower levels of strangulation, it can result in brain injuries like problem-solving difficulties, memory issues, and so on, and that’s without even being made unconscious, so it’s a really serious thing to do.”
asserted
it → result → difficulties
it doesn’t take much pressure, and it doesn’t take very long, to have really terrible consequences.”
asserted
it → take → consequences
Douglas said there were no safe ways to undertake strangulation, and she questioned aspects of consent surrounding it.
asserted
she → say → it
Among the almost 5000 people aged between 18 and 35 surveyed in the research were reports of consent having been assumed from previous instances of strangulation, consent without an understanding of the risks, and consent influenced by pressure or power differentials, Douglas said.
asserted
Douglas → age → pressure
“A lot of people just want to be normal … and doing normal things in their sex life.
asserted
lot → want → life
“And I think there is a bit of a normalisation of strangulation in many young people’s sex lives,” Douglas said.
asserted
Douglas → think → lives
The NSW government’s own submission to a recent parliamentary inquiry said depictions of sexual aggression including strangulation in pornography has been linked to increased intimate partner violence, citing research from 2017 by the federal government’s Australian Institute of Family Studies.
asserted
depictions → say → Studies
Federal independent MP Zali Steggall, from the neighbouring electorate of Warringah, said the teenager’s death underscored the need for a national education campaign to tackle misogyny and teach respectful relationships.
asserted
death → say → relationships
“My thoughts are with her family, friends and community at this incredibly difficult time,” she said.
asserted
she → say → time
“Police are investigating the circumstances of the girl’s death and no charges have been laid.
asserted
charges → investigate → death
We must allow the legal process to take place.
asserted
process → allow → place
“Regardless of the circumstances of this particular case, the Albanese government itself has confirmed that rates of sexual violence, particularly amongst young people, are rising.
asserted
rates → confirm → people
“The Albanese government must urgently roll out a national campaign ensuring young people receive ongoing sexual health and relationship education.”
asserted
people → roll → health
