Grants Pass, Ore.– The church bells were ringing 46 times in Grants Pass Thursday night.
“There’s a whole in my heart.” And 46 purple flags are up outside the Josephine County Courthouse, representing the lives lost during domestic violence disputes in Josephine County since 1970.
Domestic violence crosses all ethnic and social lines. Like a 2011 case in Medford. Four children and their mother Tabasha Criado brutally murdered at their home on West 10th Street. Her husband, serving a life sentence in prison.
In Grants Pass last May Jessica Thompson was shot and killed by her husband in front of their two children.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and that’s why many people were outside the courthouse.
Like LaRita De Young. She was there to honor her sister, Virginia and niece, Nicole.
“Were murdered from domestic violence 25 years ago and I just wanted to honor them and look back at 25 years and all the wonderful advances that we have.”
The Women’s Crisis Support Team who put this vigil together is there for domestic violence victim’s who need help. “It’s and epidemic we have war zones in our neighborhoods.”
Tanya Nevarez is an intervention advocate with the group and says 1 in 6 homes has the potential of being a violent household.
“It’s still happening it hurts my heart we have to have talks about domestic violence,”said De Young.
De Young is just hoping nights like these will continue to remind others that they have the power to stop violence.
“If we could stop all the world violence it would be wonderful…Be kind and compassionate.”
For this month you can also find 46 wooden silhouettes of the people who lost their lives in the windows of local shops in Grants Pass. They’re called silent witnesses.
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