Which is why, if you would re-read my post before jumping to judgment about it, you would see I specifically agreed with this - she did what she was able to do. Sadly, it was not enough to protect her. She had more than one creep arrayed against her, and a lifetime of low self-worth. That is not monday morning quarterbacking. That is expressing sadness at the tragedy of it.
What gives additional dignity to her death is that other young, trusting women who are deceivable - and the loving and trusting are easier "marks" for these people - is that someone can learn from it. Although not all situations are preventable, we can begin to teach young people how to spot deceit, how not to excuse it, how not to "forgive it" over and over again. They get too many messages about "working on things," and "for the children" and on and on. They need to get some counter-messages about how it's okay to leave to protect yourself, and that if your diary isn't safe, you aren't either.
A good book for many to read is _Stop Walking on Eggshells_, which details how unpredictably violent troubled people can be. Many times, capable young people like Susan think they are "capable" of managing their troubled spouse. They are culturally encouraged in this by all sorts of influences - family, basic expectations for being a woman, and look how much reality TV today encourages people to stay in relationships with those who are given to violent outbursts! We need to teach kids how to spot unhealthy relationships, whether they are unhealthy in a "stealth," silent way, or unhealthy in a loud and chaotic way - because both can turn violent.
