Suicide by proxy: a case report of juvenile autoerotic sexual asphyxia disguised as suicide. A common occurrence?

The confusion and embarrassment felt by a person discovering a body who has died through sexual asphyxia is likely to be considerable. Attempts may be made to disguise the nature of the death to medical attendants and to investigating police officers. A high level of suspicion and a knowledge of the characteristic findings seen in sexual asphyxia are important for the correct determination of the cause of death. This report describes the death of a 12-year-old boy in the Midlands, UK, in 1977. An open verdict had been recorded by the coroner. I Further evidence coming to light 17 years later appears to suggest that death was in fact due to autoerotic sexual asphyxia.