Fourteen seconds is the amount of time it can take for strangulation to cause a seizure. Chantal Roddy, a survivor and advocate, knows firsthand how long that can feel.
"Those numbers land differently for me because I've lived those seconds," she said.
Dr Roddy said that in the hours following her abuse, a police officer helped her understand the seriousness of what she had experienced at the hands of a former partner.
"I was fortunate to have support in that situation, to work with that person, to get the history and the family violence order in place," she said. "That really helped me take the first step to healing and getting out of that situation."
The forum, hosted by advocacy organisation Engender Equality, aimed to equip first responders with the same skills. Police officers, GPs, social workers and family violence workers heard from experts from around the country and women with lived experience.
Tasmania changed its laws in 2022 to recognise strangulation as a standalone crime, carrying a sentence of up to 21 years in prison. But family violence experts say more work is needed to better integrate services for victim-survivors of strangulation.
Professor Heather Douglas from the Melbourne Law School highlighted the importance of properly recognising when strangulation is occurring to prevent even more serious outcomes. She noted that someone who has experienced strangulation is 7.5 times more likely to be killed or experience further severe violence.