In the four stages leading to homicide, which statement describes the final stage?

• A. If the woman cannot get away
• B. Initial attraction and mutual isolation
• C. When a physical assault occurs, it is met with disbelief
• D. Escape is impossible from the start

Answer: (A)

The final stage is defined by the victim’s inability to escape. As coercive control and threats intensify, safe avenues to leave are stripped away, so the person has no viable means to get away. When escape is no longer possible, the risk of lethal violence becomes highest, which is why this statement best fits the last stage of the progression toward homicide. The other options describe earlier moments in the pattern—early attraction and isolation, disbelief during an assault, or an unrealistic start where escape is impossible from the outset—none of which capture the culmination where leaving is no longer feasible.