Never Visit an Ex-Partner's Home Unaccompanied

Visiting a former partner’s residence creates a private, enclosed space where an abusive ex retains a significant physical and psychological advantage. In May 2026, a 22-year-old woman was sexually assaulted and beaten at her ex-boyfriend’s home in the West End district after visiting him alone. The perpetrator — the father of her child — began the assault in a private room, restrained her physically when she tried to stop him, and recorded portions of the attack on his phone. Shared children, unresolved separation disputes, or financial obligations often give former partners plausible reasons to request a private meeting; those same circumstances make it harder to refuse. Once you are alone with an abusive ex inside their home, you are in a space they control with no witnesses and no easy exit.

Steps to follow:

• Do not visit an ex-partner’s home alone if the relationship involved controlling behaviour, physical aggression, or threats at any point — bring a trusted companion or arrange to meet in a public place instead.
• Before any visit to a former partner’s residence, tell a trusted person the exact address, your expected arrival and departure time, and ask them to check in on you — if you don’t respond, they should call you and then contact police if there is no answer.
• Set a check-in alarm on your phone before entering; if anything feels wrong when you arrive, step away immediately and do not enter.
• If a co-parenting arrangement requires you to enter the premises, bring a neutral third party whenever possible, or conduct exchanges at a public location such as a police station or community centre.
• Recognise that recording a sexual assault is a deliberate act of further violation and can be used as evidence — report the incident to police and request that investigators seek the device as part of the investigation.
• Contact the Domestic Violence Hotline (800-7283) if you are unsure whether a former partner’s behaviour qualifies for a protection order; a pattern of contact, threats, or control during or after the relationship can be sufficient grounds.