Strangulation penalties toughened under new law

A mother whose daughter was strangled twice before she was murdered says a new strangulation offence is a ‘‘significant improvement’’ on how serious assaults are dealt with.

The new strangulation or suffocation offence came into effect yesterday with a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment as part of the Family Violence (Amendments) Act, replacing the Domestic Violence Act.

The act rolls out in two phases, with the second to begin in July next year.

Three new family violence offences were introduced: strangulation, coercion to marry, and assault on a person in a family relationship.

Alexsis Tovizi, a 21-year-old mother-of-one, was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Nikki Roper, who used a sleeper hold on her at her Christchurch flat on December 4, 2010.

The killing happened five days after he was released from prison for an earlier assault where he choked her.

Tovizi’s mother, Cheryl Tovizi, said the new legislation was a ‘‘significant improvement’’ in terms of dealing with serious assaults and should ‘‘prove a greater deterrent’’.

‘‘It will give the power to police and the justice system to treat these offences with the seriousness they deserve.’’

Justice Minister Andrew Little said the new law marked a ‘‘significant update’’ to family violence legislation and established the importance of and respect for victims.

‘‘These new offences criminalise behaviours and practices that can now be prosecuted specifically under family violence,’’ he said.

The Bail Act was also amended, giving police and courts the power to impose bail conditions on defendants charged with family violence offences, to protect the victim and family.

Under the act, video recordings made by police within two weeks can now be heard in court.

‘‘This change will help reduce trauma and improve the court experience for victims of family violence and will be implemented throughout the country over time,’’ Under-Secretary for Justice Jan Logie said.

‘‘These changes are designed to bring a much stronger focus on to the safety of victims, the roles and responsibilities of the workforce and better protect people vulnerable to specific offences, such as forced marriage.’’