Sydney police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl in a suspected case of choking during sex, local media reported. Police said emergency services were called to a home in Elanora Heights on Sydney’s Northern Beaches at about 17:45 local time on Sunday after the teenager was found unconscious. Emergency Response And Hospital CareOfficers and paramedics treated the girl at the scene before she was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition. She later died on Tuesday night. Police have not released details of how the death occurred or what injuries were found. However, police sources told several local news outlets, including the ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald, that she was believed to have been choked during sex. Police Have Not Disclosed CauseInvestigators have not said what type of injuries were involved or whether charges have been considered. The case is still being examined. Sexual consent advocate Chanel Contos said the death was “likely preventable”, and criticised the portrayal of violence in online pornography. She said pornography companies “have blood on their hands”, adding that mainstream pornography routinely depicts violence against women such as slapping and strangling, while portraying women as enjoying or accepting it. Contos, 28, founded Teach Us Consent in 2021 after she prompted a national conversation about consent. She said the organisation was created following reports from hundreds of young people who told her they had been sexually assaulted during their school years. Advocates Cite Research On StrangulationContos also said there is “no safe way” to engage in choking during sex. She referred to research suggesting some young people believe the act is risky but safe, and said people can underestimate the potential harm. “Even when young people believe they are consenting, they're often uninformed about its potential consequences, which are fatal at worst, and can cause permanent brain injury even when there are no visible signs of harm,” she said. Experts also said sexual strangulation has become more prevalent among young people in Australia. They pointed to possible impacts including headaches, memory loss and brain damage, and in rare cases death. A 2024 report by the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland found that more than half of Australians aged between 18 and 35—57%—had been strangled during sex at least once. The study, which surveyed 4,700 people, also found that among those who had been choked during sex, one third first experienced it between the ages of 19 and 21. Police continue to investigate the circumstances around the girl’s death. META: Sydney police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl after she was found unconscious in Elanora Heights, with sources saying she was believed to have been choked during sex. Join the discussion? 27 August 2026
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