Safe house

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For the 1998 film, go to Safe House

The term safe house or safehouse, generally meaning a safe place or sanctuary from harm, may refer to:

• In law enforcement and intelligence jargon of intelligence agencies and police forces, a secured location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger.

As well, it is a place where people may go to avoid prosecution of their activities by authorities.

• a location placed in the neighbourhood where a trusted adult or family or charity organization has agreed to provide a safe place for battered wives and abused children to go to, when they feel that their lives are threatened by domestic abuse. See also: Women's shelter.

• Safe House, an espionage-theme restaurant in Milwaukee WI, an area attraction since 1966. Four and a half million people have found this giant role-playing game.

Typically, the locations of safe houses are kept secret from all but a limited number of people, for the safety of those hidden within them.

Safe houses were an integral part of the Underground railroad, a network of safe locations which were used to assist slaves to escape to freedom in the United States.

Safe houses also provided a refuge for Jewish and other victims of Nazi persecution like Anne Frank and for escaping Prisoners of war.

Many religious institutions will allow one to obtain sanctuary within one's place of worship, and some governments respect and do not violate such sanctuary.^{[citation needed]}