We are calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC not to broadcast Romania’s Eurovision entry “Choke Me” unless its lyrics are changed.

This song repeatedly references choking and strangulation - a form of violence overwhelmingly used against women. Broadcasting it risks normalising a dangerous and abusive act on one of Europe’s largest stages.

The song by Alexandra Căpitănescu contains lyrics such as:
"You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Choke me, choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode"

Why this matters
Strangulation is a serious form of violence against women.

• On average, one woman dies of strangulation every 10 days in the UK.¹
• Non-fatal strangulation is one of the strongest predictors of future homicide.²
• It can cause a wide range of physical and psychological harm, including stroke, vision problems, vocal cord damage, and PTSD.³⁴
• Unconsciousness can occur within seconds (as little as 5–10 seconds).³⁴
• Since 2022, non-fatal strangulation has been a standalone criminal offence in England and Wales  because it's high-risk, and can cause severe harm.

This issue affects children: in 38% of non-fatal strangulation cases, children were present.⁵

Strangulation is not a topic for entertainment. Experts are clear: there is no safe way to strangle⁶.

Why this matters for public safety

Over half (55%) of people aged 16–34 have been strangled during consensual sex⁷. It has become normalised and expected. Normalisation in mainstream media makes it harder to recognise that this is a very dangerous behaviour - and it perpetuates the myth that it can be done safely. 

Eurovision is a family show watched by millions of people, including children. Broadcasters cannot control how lyrics are interpreted, and some viewers may take them at face value.

Standards and responsibility
Allowing the Romanian song in its current form would breach the standards of both the EBU and the BBC:

• Eurovision rules prohibit “offensive or inappropriate content”
• The BBC is required to take account of audience expectations,  protect audiences from harmful material, and avoid broadcasting content that could seriously harm children.

The song normalises violence against women. It is harmful. 

The EBU has intervened before to require changes to songs in order to uphold its standards. It must do so again in this case.

Take action
We are calling on the EBU and the BBC to act:

• Refuse to broadcast the Romanian Eurovision entry unless references to choking are removed
• Commit to rejecting any future content that normalises or trivialises violence against women

Sexualised strangulation is not harmless or symbolic. It is linked to real-world harm and is increasingly normalised in mainstream culture. Eurovision should not be a platform for content that makes violence against women seem acceptable

Please sign and share this petition, and help ensure that violence against women is not normalised in mainstream media.

#NoSafeWayToStrangle

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References
1) Ofer, N. (Jan 2021), The Domestic Abuse Bill must make non-fatal strangulation a stand-alone offence. Centre for Women’s Justice
https://www.centreforwomensjustice.org.uk/new-blog-1/2021/1/4/the-domestic-abuse-bill-must-make-non-fatal-strangulation-a-stand-alone-offence
2) Glass, N. et al. (Oct 2008) Non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 35(3), 329–335
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17961956/
3) Bows, H. & Herring, J. (2024) Non-Fatal Strangulation: An Empirical Review of the New Offence in England and Wales. The Journal of Criminal Law, 88(5–6), 332–346
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00220183241277005
4) Centre for Women’s Justice (June 2020) Written evidence submitted to the Domestic Abuse Bill Committee (DAB06)
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2709/stages/12168
5) Crown Prosecution Service (Dec 2022) Children are often present during non-fatal strangulation, CPS analysis shows
https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/children-are-often-present-during-non-fatal-strangulation-cps-analysis-shows
6) Institute for Addressing Strangulation (2024) There is No Safe Way to Strangle – Position Statement
https://ifas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/There-is-No-Safe-Way-to-Strangle-Position-Statement-September-2024-5.pdf
7) Institute for Addressing Strangulation (Nov 2025) ‘Strangulation During Sex in the UK’,  https://ifas.org.uk/strangulation-during-sex-in-the-uk/