Is strangling one's self to obtain sexual gratification a problem related only to teenage boys? What does the death scene of an autoerotic fatality look like? Is nudity or partial nudity always a feature? Can pornography be expected? Are most autoerotic deaths characterized by transvestitism?
Autoerotic fatalities can be a dilemma for law enforcement investigators, forensic medicine experts and coroners. This stems from the difficulty of distinguishing them as homicide, suicide or accident. It is estimated that between 500 and 1,000 Americans die as a result of asphyxiophilia each year.
According to Wikipedia, erotic asphyxiation refers to intentionally cutting off oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal. It is also called asphyxiophilia, autoerotic asphyxia, scarfing and breath control play. The erotic interest in asphyxiation is classified as a paraphilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
Paraphilias have problems with controlling impulses that are characterized by recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviors involving unusual objects, activities or situations not considered sexually arousing to others.
Besides erotic asphyxiophilia, other behaviors considered as paraphilias are exhibitionism (flashing), fetishism, frotteurism (rubbing against a nonconsenting person), pedophilia, sexual masochism, sexual sadism, transvestism and voyeurism.
Not all paraphilia activity is illegal nor does having paraphilic fantasies necessarily mean a person has a mental illness. However, just because strangling one's self to obtain sexual gratification may not be illegal, it can be a very dangerous practice.
According to Brent Turvey, M.S., a forensic scientist, criminal profiler and senior partner at Forensic Solutions LLC, the most common form of autoerotic death results from autoerotic asphyxiation. Turvey writes that until fairly recently, literature reflected the belief that autoerotic asphyxia, in particular, was an adolescent male activity, and female devotees of the practice were either extremely rare or nonexistent. These misconceptions are slowly eroding. Although it is mostly a male activity, women do engage in sexual asphyxia. Gosink and Jumbelic (2000) offer a male-to-female ratio of greater than 50:1 (which may well be accurate). Currently, there is no typical or predominant profile of someone who engages in any kind of sexual asphyxia. It is known to be practiced by both sexes and across many cultures going back hundreds of years.
Interpretation of autoerotic asphyxia in death scenes has been particularly problematicfor law enforcement and other death scene investigators for several reasons. First of all, there is a lack of information and training on the topic. Secondly, the scene is sometimes altered by well-meaning relatives or significant others who remove pornography or female clothing from a male victim or otherwise alter the scene out of personal embarrassment or the wish to preserve the dignity of the deceased.
Findings at the death scene
Death scenes will vary. Turvey said, "Certain findings can be expected. At a minimum, to form an opinion that a death is the result of autoerotic asphyxia, the investigator would need to find evidence that the activity was repetitive and likely pursued for sexual stimulation. There should be evidence that death was not an expected outcome.
Pornography, mirrors, and other fantasy aids help such a determination, as does finding padding between the ligature and the neck. Evidence of an escape mechanism (even if only consisting of the ability to stand, thereby releasing tension on the ligature) must be present. The presence of semen at the death scene is by itself not proof that the deceased was masturbating or had an orgasm. Semen on the ground or on the victim's underwear or leg is possibly due to sexual activity, but it is also possibly due to postmortem rigor mortis (Spitz and Fisher, 1993). And, most suicides are not discovered nude or partially nude, as many autoerotic death victims are. On the other hand, lack of nudity or partial nudity in no way rules out an autoerotic death."
Differentiating between accidental death from sexual asphyxia and other causes
Turvey suggests when confronted with a possible autoerotic death scene, one can use the criteria noted above to form a preliminary assessment. This should be followed by a psychological assessment of the victim. The autopsy findings should be consistent with the type of autoerotic death suspected. Although uncommon, the possibility of a homicide or suicide masquerading as an autoerotic death may need to be entertained. The following factors may be helpful in making a determination of autoerotic asphyxial death:
- Was there a reasonable expectation of privacy?
- Were doors/windows locked from the inside?
- Was it possible for the victim to place whatever ligatures are present on himself or herself?
- If a nonligature method of asphyxiation was used, was it possible for the victim to engage it by himself or herself?
- Was there padding on ligatures to prevent visible marks?
- Was there evidence of fantasy or fetishistic activity?
- Was there evidence the behavior had occurred before?
- Is there lack of evidence that the victim committed suicide?
- Are any injuries consistent with what is found at the death scene and attributable to behavior of the victim or inadvertent motion of the victim after losing consciousness?
Reporting the manner of death and dealing with families
John K. Cox, Benton County Coroner, President of the Indiana State Coroner Association and Chief of Police at the Purdue University Police Department said, "The cases of sexual asphyxia that I am familiar with have been ruled as accidental deaths. These individuals were engaging in a sexual experience and had no intentions of killing themselves." He said, "Although it can be embarrassing for a family, and coroners and law enforcement should handle these cases with sensitivity, they must also be honest. I've found that most families are able to grieve and then work towards closure when they are presented with facts of a case in a kind and caring manner."