Candlelight vigil held to remember domestic violence victims

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday to honor and remember domestic violence victims who lost their lives in Pitt County.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a time to remember those who lost their lives, as well as offer support to those who are still struggling with domestic violence.

At the event, speakers took turns addressing the crowd and a domestic violence survivor shared her story of abuse.

Through Their Eyes candlelight vigil took place at the Pitt County Courthouse and organizers read off the names of the 53 people who fell victim to domestic violence in Pitt County since 2000.

Organizers say domestic violence can happen to anyone and deaths from it are increasing.

They say in order to stop this, it’s important to know the signs and seek help, saying a victim’s chance of being murdered increases by 75% when they try to leave.

The Center for Family Violence Prevention says domestic violence can take many forms and doesn’t necessarily have to be bruises and broken bones.

Financial, sexual and physical abuse are just a few examples of domestic violence taking form.

Some of the services offered for victims include court advocates, adult and children counselors and support.

For more information, visit https://ncadv.org/.

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