Corrie is highlighting a worrying trend, and Betsy Swain's story isn't unique

Coronation Street has been used to highlight risks tied to non-fatal strangulation after viewers learned that 18-year-old Betsy Swain suffered a stroke following an episode depicted as strangulation during consensual sex. In the storyline, doctors attribute the stroke to a blood clot caused by neck artery damage from temporary loss of circulation. Betsy later explains to her mother that her boyfriend, Dylan Wilson, strangled her even though both believed the pressure was minimal. The article links this narrative to Home Office figures showing offences involving non-fatal strangulation and suffocation against under-18s in England and Wales rose from 2,130 (2022-23) to 4,888 (2024-25). It also explains that consent cannot be used to justify serious harm.