Bridgend County Borough Council has come under fire after a draft PowerPoint presentation created for schools appeared to suggest that strangulation during sex could be acceptable with consent.
The controversial slide, which read, “It is never OK to start choking someone without asking them first,” was part of a sex education resource commissioned by the council’s in-house domestic abuse service, Assia. Though officials insist the material was never shown to pupils and was quickly dropped following professional feedback, its inclusion in any draft form has sparked significant concern among campaigners, educators, and politicians.
Victims’ Commissioner for London, Claire Waxman, described the content as “deeply concerning,” while Baroness Jacqueline Foster, a former Conservative MEP, highlighted in Parliament that non-fatal strangulation is a criminal offence carrying serious penalties.
The Welsh Government was swift to reaffirm that such acts are “dangerous and illegal,” and said that school resources shared by Bridgend Council clearly reflect this. Nonetheless, the fact that the statement appeared in any draft material has raised pressing questions over the judgment exercised during its development.
Bridgend Council has since issued a clarification, describing the slide as “inaccurate or out-of-date information” that had been either updated or removed during the drafting process. The council added that the slide was part of an “active presentation” used to spark discussion, after which the facilitator would clarify that non-fatal strangulation is a serious criminal offence.
However, some experts remain unconvinced. Michael Conroy, a trainer who works with professionals delivering sex education, told the BBC that he found the slide “terrifying” and claimed it lacked accompanying safety guidance. “The idea that someone is saying it’s OK to strangle a person if you get a ‘yes’ is atrocious,” he said. “It’s the opposite of safeguarding—it’s a terrible breach of trust.”
Conroy, who did not receive the materials directly from the council, said he understood that the presentation had been shared with schools and youth groups, though Bridgend Council has denied this, stating it was circulated only to a “small group of professionals” for feedback and was never intended for classroom delivery.
Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Natasha Asghar, who sits on the Children, Young People and Education Committee, said she had been contacted by numerous concerned parents. She has called for both the draft and final versions of the presentation to be made public.
“We shouldn’t disguise the fact those responsible for creating the content originally deemed this appropriate,” Asghar said. “We need to look into this to make sure children are being taught properly.” She added that she had written to the council leader but had yet to receive a response.
Fiona Mackenzie, a campaigner who successfully fought to remove the so-called “rough sex” defence from domestic abuse legislation, criticised the broader approach to sex education material. “Opening sex ed up to the market means anyone can set up to tell children how to have sex,” she said. “This is up to government to take control.”
In a statement, Bridgend Council reiterated: “We want to again confirm that local children are not being taught to believe that dangerous sexual behaviour is acceptable as long as consent is in place.”
The Welsh Government also responded, stating: “At no point were inappropriate materials shared for use in schools or seen by learners.” Officials confirmed that extra funding has been provided to ensure resources are “age appropriate and in line with legal requirements,” under the mandatory Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Code.
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
