How European Law Treats This Pattern

When strangulation occurs first, and is then followed by:

• physical assault
• stalking
• coercive control
• threats
• intimidation
• monitoring

—even across different countries — this is legally recognised as:

🚨 Escalating violent criminal behaviour, not isolated incidents

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🧠 Forensic & Psychological Meaning

This pattern shows:

• Intent to dominate & control
• Escalation of violence
• Fixation on the victim
• Increased homicide risk

Strangulation is not just assault — it is:

🔴 A predictor of future severe violence and murder

Which means later stalking and violence are treated as continuation of the same abusive pattern, not new unrelated events.

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⚖️ How European Law Handles Cross-Border Abuse

Across Europe, courts increasingly apply:

✅ Pattern of Behaviour Doctrine

Violence across borders can be legally connected as:

One continuous abusive campaign

This allows:

• Previous strangulation to be used as evidence of dangerousness
• Later stalking to be charged as aggravated offence
• Stronger sentencing due to escalation risk

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🇪🇺 Cross-Border Legal Cooperation Tools

European countries use:

🔹 European Investigation Order (EIO)

• Allows evidence sharing between police & courts
• Prior assault records can be transferred

🔹 European Arrest Warrant (EAW)

• Allows extradition for prosecution
• Prevents offenders escaping by crossing borders

🔹 Criminal Record Exchange (ECRIS)

• Shares violent crime convictions across Europe

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🔥 Why This Pattern Triggers Severe Legal Response

Because research shows:

Behaviour	Risk Increase
Strangulation	+700% homicide risk
Strangulation + stalking	+1100% homicide risk
Repeated violence across borders	Extreme danger category

This combination places the offender in the highest threat tier.

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🛑 How Courts Interpret This Behaviour

Judges view this pattern as:

“Sustained campaign of violent coercive control with escalating lethality risk.”

This leads to:

• Higher charges
• Harsher sentences
• Restraining orders across borders
• Preventative detention requests
• Monitoring conditions

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🧩 Typical Charges That Apply

Behaviour	Legal Classification
Strangulation	Attempted homicide / aggravated assault
Cross-border stalking	Aggravated stalking
Repeated violence	Pattern of coercive control
Following victim internationally	Fixated threat behaviour
Repeated intimidation	Psychological violence

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🚨 Very Important Reality

When strangulation is followed by stalking:

This is considered one of the strongest predictors of intimate partner homicide.

This is why police and courts treat it as:
🔴 Extreme risk domestic violence case

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