Assignment task:
Jane* (mother), age 25, received a call at work from Joe* (father) age 33, to come to his home stating that their child, Olivia*, age 4, was sick. When Jane arrived, Joe threatened her with a knife because she was having an affair. He said he would kill her in front of Olivia. Jane convinced him to take her to the store, leaving Olivia at home asleep. Jane was able to get away and call law enforcement while Joe returned home without Jane. When law enforcement arrived, they broke down the door and found Joe and Olivia with gunshot wounds to the head. The father left a suicide note stating he had planned to kill all three of them including Jane. Cocaine was found in his system.
Two weeks prior, law enforcement had arrested the father for domestic violence, which occurred when the child was present. Joe had just recently lost his job. Jane had an order of protection but asked for a dismissal, stating that Joe was not violent and that she wanted the court to allow him to come home. No one including Jane called a domestic violence hotline concerning these events.
Question to Think About:
Do you think the outcome would have been different if the hotline had been contacted? Why or why not?