Four minors arrested in Rotterdam for participating in "choking challenge"

Four underage people were arrested last week for participating in the so-called “choking challenge” in which one boy "lost consciousness," police said. This challenge consists of children suffocating themselves or each other by pinching a carotid artery until they pass out. The incident took place midway through January at a school in Rotterdam and was reported to the police last week.

The boy was unconscious for a short while after being choked out, but regained consciousness without medical intervention. He did not need to go to the hospital after the incident. The four underage suspects who were involved in the incident have been released from custody. The prosecutor will decide at a later stage how the case will be handled.

Even though this incident ended without a hospitalization, police issued a warning about the "life-threatening" challenge. The "game" has been trending on social media, especially on TikTok. “A 16-year-old boy from Nieuwegein died as a result of this challenge last week,” police said in a statement.

The people involved were very shocked by the incident and the consequences, police said. "They were not aware of the dangers.” The police and the Public Prosecution Service (OM) are calling on parents to speak with their children about these types of choking challenges and the dangers involved.

The police referenced a warning by the Hersenstichting, the Dutch brain foundation, who said that brains can be damaged after only a very short time without oxygen. The foundation added that this can have lengthy negative consequences.

The OM and police also noted that the challenge is not just dangerous but also a felony in some cases. “Young people need to know that you can be arrested and prosecuted for this. This can cause significant problems if you need to fill in a certificate of conduct (VOG) for your dream job,” the statement reads.

If several people are involved in the challenge, then somebody can be suspected of injuring another person, police explained.