Can family murders be prevented?
Can family murders be prevented? In individual cases, possibly not. It is not likely that people other than the immediate family will be aware of the gathering destructiveness until it is too late. The wife is the one person who may have a chance of stopping it. If your husband has shown any of the tendencies or warning signs mentioned above, then you should be extra careful to keep yourself and your children safe. Ensure if possible that firearms are disabled and locked away, and that you have a “bolt hole” or escape route planned. Organisations for the prevention of violence against women, such as POWA, can advise about this. You should also take any threat of suicide or violence extremely seriously, even (or especially) if he is drinking at the time. If you’re seriously worried, get yourself and your children out and go somewhere you can’t be found, like a women’s shelter or a friend’s house that is secure. Then call the police, stressing the delicacy of the situation. There are als
