Remembering those who suffered in silence

Not even a pandemic could stop this event.

It’s how the governor’s press secretary Krystal Paco-San Agustin described an event remembering those who suffered in silence. Today, the Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence held the annual Silent Witness Ceremony virtually.

Several island leaders joined the ceremony over Zoom and Facebook which opened with a prayer by Father Mike Crisostomo.

“We pray for our families today, especially those who have died because of domestic violence and sexual assault,” he said. “We pray for victims, survivors and those who continue to endure the pain and the hurt as a result. We also pray for advocates, those who continue to fight for those who are in need.”

Domestic violence includes behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish or force them to behave in certain ways they do not want, Paco-San Agustin explained. It includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse and economic deprivation. Many of these different forms of domestic violence of abuse can be occurring at any one time within the same intimate relationship.

The event continued with a virtual candlelight ceremony with names and photos of each victim displayed much like it’s done when held each year in the atrium of the Judiciary of Guam.

During the ceremony, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed a proclamation proclaiming October as Family Violence Awareness Month.

“Family violence affects not only those who are abused but it also affects other family members most especially children who grow up in a violent home,” she said.

The governor added that although the Guam Police Department's statistics show a decrease in family violence incidents from 1,300 incidents in 2016 to 1,016 cases in 2019, this number is still unacceptable.

Earlier today Father Mike was on The Link explaining a key visual component of the event.

“So if you see red silhouettes of individuals around the island at businesses or churches these are voices or the persons that had given up their lives because of DV and SA: domestic violence and sexual assault and so please remember all those who have died,” he said.