Guam - Today marked the start of Family Violence Awareness Month, and at the Superior Court of Guam late this afternoon the annual silent witness ceremony was held to honor the victims of family violence whose voices were forever silenced at the hand of their loved one.

This year an additional silhouette was added to the Silent Witness Exhibit. It is of Hermie Santos, the young boy was brutally murdered by his mother's boyfriend and whose charred remains were found in a fire pit.

Betweem 2005 through 2009 there were over 2,200 cases of family violence alone in the Superior Court. Including offenses of abuse, criminal sexual conduct and stalking, the total number of cases involving victims of abuse equates to 3,655.