Abstract

For many years an interpretation of the strange group of fatalities due to sexual asphyxia has been the cause of investigative difficulty for the police investigator, as well as for the forensic pathologist. We are aware that from a medical standpoint this phenomenon is termed “sexual asphyxia.” The police community has long referred to these situations, particularly when the deceased is suspended by the neck, as “masochistic hangings.” It should be understood, however, that asphyxia may also be a mode of death in other sexual cases, such as with the use of ropes, belts, plastic bags, and other varied accouterments.

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