PANIC Rooms

                'Panic rooms' for women at risk

Women at risk of attack from their former partners are being offered tailor-made "panic rooms" to help them stay in their own homes.

Islington Council said women fleeing domestic violence face another hurdle - becoming homeless.

Instead they can then have reinforced safe rooms and other measures fitted to keep violent partners out long enough for the police to arrive.

Nineteen women in the north London borough have had the rooms fitted.

Fireproof letterboxes, strengthened doors and second phone lines are among other measures fitted, if a police risk assessment finds the woman can stay in the home.

                                    Life imitates art once again.

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'Panic rooms' for women at risk

Victims need a range of support to protect them, says Women's Aid Women at risk of attack from their former partners are being offered tailor-made "panic rooms" to help them stay in their own homes. Islington Council said women fleeing domestic violence face another hurdle - becoming homeless. Instead they can then have reinforced safe rooms and other measures fitted to keep violent partners out long enough for the police to arrive. Nineteen women in the north London borough have had the rooms fitted. Fireproof letterboxes, strengthened doors and second phone lines are among other measures fitted, if a police risk assessment finds the woman can stay in the home. If he ever comes to the door and starts smashing it, I know which room to run to Kiran Domestic violence victim Among those to have the work carried out is Kiran, a mother-of-four whose partner turned abusive 11 years ago. Last May she took out a court injunction against him, after he hit her mother over the head. She told BBC London: "[My case worker] helped me to speak to somebody to put up safety locks in my house and put a mobile phone in my bedroom. "If he ever comes to the door and starts smashing it, I know which room to run to, me and my kids. I feel much safer now." 'Measures in place' The Home Shelter Scheme is part of Islington's wider "Domestic Violence Matters" project. Islington councillor Laura Willoughby said fitting the measures for the 19 women had cost about £30,000 while re-housing them in temporary, sometimes cramped, accommodation would have cost £200,000. Deborah McIlveen, from the charity Women's Aid, said victims needed to be offered a combination of measures so they were "not just left in a house with a steel room and no support". Police and domestic violence agencies needed to be involved, before the rooms were installed, she added. "Unfortunately there are some [men] who will keep coming back, and measures need to be put in place to deal with that," she told BBC London.   BBC

Comments

[Phoenix]

Are these people nuts? For one...why would a woman be left homeless? Move. If she owns the home, sell it and move. If she has the money to be there in the first place, she has the money to find another place. The very idea of having a bomb shelter, or a 'man shelter', in your house is too stupid to believe. There is a big wide world out there.....go for it. All this 'solution' does is make the women wallow in victimhood and become an animal while doing so.

[Steel]

I read this a few times. I came to the conclusion that the State is paying for these rooms. That's just wrong.

[imp]

I think it is a good idea, as an alternative, IF the woman pays for it. There are x-husbands that are wife beaters/stalkers and a determined one can find you if they put their minds to it. But it would be nice for semi-temp-protections in the event of your every day burgler, rapist and/or murderer, I guess.

I find that my .38 does just fine for me, thank ya.