From Survivor to Advocate: Meet Cait Alexander a Survivor Of Unthinkable Intimate Partner Violence
Written by Malana VanTyler
In the summer of 2021, Canadian police officers arrived at a home and found 30-year-old Cait Alexander beaten and bloodied. It was a tragic, life-altering incident that would mark her forever. What she didn’t know then was that this night would lead her into one of the greatest fights of her life: navigating a legal system so overburdened that, even with overwhelming evidence, her case was dismissed before it could be heard. This is her story.
Cait Alexander, a blossoming actress and model in Canada met her ex-partner in November of 2020 through mutual friends. He presented as the perfect man, involved in his only son's life, and made Alexander feel secure in their life together.
“I thought, ‘This finally, at last, will be the family I had always desired,’” said Cait.
Until that changed in May of 2021, when his sudden drug use quickly spiraled into volatility, violence, and controlling behavior. That once-perfect man disappeared, replaced by an unpredictable dangerous stranger. Cait, like many survivors, stayed because she hoped things would get better. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the isolation made her feel even more cut off from the world. Like so many survivors, when the violence became potentially lethal, she decided she was going to leave him. And for her wanting to leave, he tried to take her life.
Cait was left with multiple injuries, bloodied and bruised, and fear had her in a chokehold. When police officers tried to enter her home due to the messages Cait had secretly sent to her friends during the altercation, it took hours for her to let them in because her ex-partner had threatened to kill her family if she did. Officers eventually forced the door open, but the experience was blindsiding; she was surrounded by an all-male tactical team, panicked and feeling almost as unsafe as she had moments earlier.
Following this incident, Cait still found difficulty separating from her abuser because of the threats against her family- if only for a few days. However, once she finally told her family about the abuse, she began her legal battle which was met with a maze of delays and dead ends with the criminal justice system.
“I have photos, video and the police body cams of his beating and violence on me. Still nothing was done,” says Cait.
Despite overwhelming evidence against her abuser, the compounded effects of the R v Jordan case, and Covid-19 lockdown resulted in the worst imaginable–a stay of all 8 of her perpetrators' charges. Despite the peace bond granted to Cait later in March of 2024, her abuser would not serve a single day in prison for nearly killing her. The peace bond has now expired.
“I felt absolute rage. That’s all. Disbelief and rage,” said Cait.
After repeatedly seeing her abuser multiple times following the attempt on her life , Cait fled to Los Angeles from Canada, costing her an immediate $60,000. The move not only provided her with a sense of safety but also gave her a moment of clarity, inspiring her to create EVE (End Violence Everywhere).
Cait remembers, “I was still in a grey zone- despite being 2000 miles away. I was still scared. LA saved me. It welcomed me and I started healing.”
The EVE foundation is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization fighting against intimate partner and sexual assault violence and supporting survivors across Canada and the United States. The foundation provides comprehensive support, including advocacy, therapy, and legal assistance, guiding survivors from the moment they choose to leave through both the legal process and their emotional recovery. At no cost to the survivor… NO cost.
Cait Alexander loves living in Los Angeles but Canada summons her back to speak at the House of Commons and on political panels to strengthen the justice system almost every month. She still works as an artist, crafting a six song EP, while fighting for legislative change, increasing survivor support, and building community to uplift intimate partner violence survivors through her foundation. She hopes her story empowers those suffering in silence and reminds them they’re not alone. EVE is currently working on a cross-border investigation of a convicted and registered sex offender and club promoter, Mark Holland, who fled to LA before being extradited back to Canada. EVE urges any American victims to come forward. Her foundation offers resources and a platform for survivors to share their stories, regain power, and build community to End Violence Everywhere.
To support EVE: End Violence Everywhere and help survivors rebuild their lives, donations are welcome here. All donations are tax deductible. Help survivors reclaim their voice today, and be a part of the mission to end intimate partner violence.
