13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Ceremony honors victims of domestic violence, unveils new project

Ceremony honors victims of domestic violence, unveils new project

The Commemorative and Survivor Celebration was held at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church at 34th and Central Avenue Tuesday morning. It is an annual event to remember lives lost and raise awareness.

The names of Hoosier victims were read as candles were lit in their honor. But in its 19th year, the tone of the ceremony was even more serious as the number of domestic violence deaths have increased dramatically - in some part due to the recession.

According to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 49 people have died from July 2008 to July 2009, 21 of whom are from central Indiana alone. Just three months ago downtown, advocacy groups held a Rally called "Enough is Enough" following the consecutive murders of three women.

"This year was frightening. It was frightening. And that's what really drew us to the Enough is Enough. Every month, there was another victim," said Julie Marsh, Domestic Violence Network. "It does take everybody to start talking about the solutions."

A friend of April Wills spoke at the ceremony. Last year, Wills' estranged husband kidnapped her, led police on a chase through Indianapolis, and killed her in the car in front of their 13-year-old daughter before shooting himself. Her surviving friend shared her powerful story.

A new project was unveiled this year. It's called Power of Images, and consists of several banners, each one showcasing a Hoosier killed by domestic abuse. The idea is to have the banners travel around the community to be displayed in the lobbies of businesses, or at public venues, to humanize the problem and raise awareness.

"These are human faces and real people and the words that are on each of the banners are quotes from the family members. So we didn't make anything up on these banners. Everything is real," said Marsh.

Wills wrote a poem after she suffered an abusive episode, and her powerful words will be on her banner.

The number 211 will also be displayed, informing today's victims how they can start getting help.

You can also help by donating. Because of the recession, many victims are not leaving perpetrators because they fear they can't get jobs to support themselves, or they will lose health insurance for their children.

Learn more about the national movement to stop domestic violence and remember lives lost.