Domestic Violence by Strangulation or Suffocation includes which of the following crimes?

• A. burglary (3)
• B. criminal trespass (3)
• C. harassment
• D. assault with intent to cause physical harm

Answer: (D)

Strangulation or suffocation in a domestic-violence context is fundamentally an assaultive act because it directly harms the victim’s body and safety. The DV statute for strangulation is typically framed as an assault with the intent to cause physical harm (or as assault by strangulation), since the act creates a real risk of serious injury or death and is intended to coerce or control the victim. That makes it the best fit among the options.

Burglary and criminal trespass are about unlawfully entering or remaining on someone’s property, which doesn’t describe the violent, bodily-harm-focused nature of strangulation. Harassment involves repeated threats or coercive behavior without necessarily causing physical injury, so it doesn’t capture the physical harm aspect inherent in strangulation.