Plan Your Escape Route Before a Domestic Attack

When a domestic situation turns violent and an abuser is armed, the front door is rarely a safe exit — it is often the first point the abuser controls. On June 22, 2026, Alana Joseph was attacked by her common-law husband at their Couva home after he doused her with a flammable liquid, threatened to set her and the children on fire, then armed himself with a knife and corrugated steel. He struck and slashed her repeatedly before she escaped through an open window and fled to a neighbour’s home. The window exit was not planned; it was the only route available. Victims who survive severe domestic violence attacks frequently do so because they found an alternative exit when the primary one was blocked or controlled. Recognising in advance which windows open, which neighbour is a safe destination, and where phones or keys are kept at night is preparation that takes minutes but can determine whether an escape is possible at all.

Steps to follow:

• Walk through your home now and identify every secondary exit — windows that open wide enough to climb through, back doors with accessible keys, any route that does not require passing the abuser’s likely position.
• Designate a specific neighbour whose home you can reach on foot in an emergency; tell them in advance that you may arrive needing help so they will open the door immediately.
• Keep your phone charged and within reach of your sleeping area at night; if a situation escalates in the early hours, being able to call 999 or a trusted contact before the abuser controls the scene may be your only option.
• Establish a code word with a neighbour, family member, or trusted friend that you can say or text if you need police called without being able to speak freely.
• Store a spare key for the front door in a location outside the home — with a trusted neighbour or in a hidden spot — so that an exit through a window does not mean you are locked out of your options after reaching safety.
• Call 999 or the domestic violence hotline (800-SAVE) as soon as you reach safety; do not return to the home before police have attended, regardless of whether the abuser appears to have calmed down.