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By: John Lilley, Chelsea Brown and Jennifer Mackey

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For many survivors of domestic violence, the most dangerous moment is not the assault itself but the attempt to leave. Police are often the first — and sometimes only — point of contact during that critical window. Yet officers are still asked to manage these encounters with training that does not reflect the reality they face.

Consider a survivor who escapes years of coercive control and near-fatal violence, only to be told while recovering in a hospital that there is not enough evidence to charge the abuser. The survivor is traumatized, medicated, frightened, and unable to recount events in a calm or linear way. To an untrained observer, this may appear unreliable. In truth, it is a common and well-documented trauma response.

This disconnect exposes a serious flaw in how police are educated.

Domestic-violence calls, mental-health crises, and other high-risk encounters rarely unfold in orderly or predictable ways. Victims may appear contradictory, emotionally volatile, withdrawn, or even protective of the person harming them. Trauma disrupts memory, behaviour, and communication — realities that cannot be fully understood........

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