Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Assaults and injuries to the person

189A: Strangulation or suffocation

You could also call this:

“It is against the law to stop someone from breathing or getting blood flow by blocking their nose or mouth, or pressing on their throat or neck.”

If you intentionally or recklessly stop someone from breathing normally or block their blood flow, you can go to prison for up to 7 years. This includes using your hands or any other tool to block the person’s nose, mouth, or both. It also includes putting pressure on the person’s throat, neck, or both. This is called strangulation or suffocation, and it’s against the law.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS138999.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
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189: Injuring with intent, or

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190: Injuring by unlawful act, or

“If you hurt someone badly while doing something illegal, you could go to jail.”

Part 8 Crimes against the person
Assaults and injuries to the person

189AStrangulation or suffocation

  1. Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who intentionally or recklessly impedes another person’s normal breathing, blood circulation, or both, by doing (manually, or using any aid) all or any of the following:

  2. blocking that other person’s nose, mouth, or both:
    1. applying pressure on, or to, that other person’s throat, neck, or both.

      Notes
      • Section 189A: inserted, on , by section 24 of the Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018 (2018 No 47).