Exit Strategy
The threat of domestic violence can be paralyzing to someone who is attempting to leave a relationship, regardless of the person’s gender. Approximately ten years ago, we were asked by a local attorney to help their client who was attempting to leave her husband. The situation had gotten so dire between the two, and the husband so controlling, that the woman feared for her life and had become a captive in her own home. We spoke with the client and came up with a plan for her to move her belongings while her husband was at work. What complicated this though was the husband had installed a sophisticated surveillance and alarm system at the house that only he had control of. The client coordinated a moving company to arrive at the house once her husband had left for work on a certain day.
What complicated this though was the husband had installed a sophisticated surveillance and alarm system at the house that only he had control of.
Our team provided surveillance of the man and also stood by at the home to ensure that everything went smoothly. Once the husband arrived at his office, we deactivate his surveillance system and the moving company personnel sprang into action. Unfortunately, this deactivation signaled the husband that something suspicious was likely happening at the house, so he immediately left his office and started driving back towards our location.
Fortunately, this was one time when heavy morning traffic worked in our favor, as we were able to get the woman and her belongings out of the house before he arrived. But it was a very close call. In fact, the moving truck and the client had just pulled away when he returned. As a precaution we also had the police respond to the scene. The officer was able to stall the husband long enough to allow the client to clear the area and make her escape.