In brief
- The death of a 16-year-old girl in Sydney has prompted calls for improved relationship education.
- Investigations into the girl's death are ongoing and no charges have been laid.
A teenage girl's tragic death, which has been reported as being linked to sexual choking, has sparked high-profile calls for broadened relationship education.
A 16-year-old girl was found unresponsive at an Elanora Heights home, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, on Sunday.
She was flown to Royal North Shore Hospital, but died on Tuesday.
Police declined to confirm reports detectives were investigating sexual choking as a possible factor in the death.
Inquiries are ongoing, and no charges have been laid.
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Independent MP Zali Steggall mentioned the reports after a National Cabinet meeting on Wednesday affirmed a commitment to ending gender-based violence.
She said agreed measures were weak and pushed for more action, including a respectful relationship education campaign.
"My call for a national education campaign has been underscored by the devastating news today of the death of a 16-year-old Northern Beaches girl," Steggall said in a statement.
"My thoughts are with her family, friends and community at this incredibly difficult time."
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said there was no safe way to engage in choking.
"I'm sure I've said it to you in the past almost 60 per cent of young people report they've experienced choking in a recent sexual encounter," she told ABC Radio on Thursday morning.
"I can't say anything, obviously, about this tragic situation in NSW ... but in general terms, figures like that just concern me so deeply.
"There is no safe way of choking someone. Parents have to use this opportunity to talk to their young people."
A survey of 4702 Australians between 18 and 35 in 2024 found 57 per cent of respondents had been choked during sex at least once.
One-third of those respondents reported it occurring for the first time between 19 and 21.
Of women alone, 61 per cent reported having been strangled.
The report's co-author noted choking in a sexual context could lead to serious brain injuries, including memory loss and issues with problem-solving.
"It doesn't matter if there are no apparent injuries, or whether the person consented," Professor Heather Douglas said at the time.
"Brain injury can also be incremental — getting a bit worse with each choking — and the person may not know they have suffered a brain injury. The effects of repeated strangling are insidious and build over time."
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