Victims Of Domestic Violence Honored At Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
WEST BLOOMFIELD (WWJ) -- Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital held its 3rd Annual Silent Witness Service on Friday in the hospital's atrium to remember and honor those who died because of domestic abuse.
The names of 26 people from metro Detroit who died at the hands of a loved one were read aloud and a single white rose was placed in a vase in their honor.
Shawn Dunn, a domestic abuse survivor, was the featured speaker and had a message for those living with an abuser.
"I would say 'you're not alone,'" Dunn said. "Abuse is very isolating and that's the most important thing to know that you're not alone."
Silent Witness figures, life-sized red wooden silhouettes of a victim – a woman, child, or man -- were displayed in the atrium.
Today, 50 states and 23 countries participate in The Silent Witness Initiative and annual remembrance ceremony.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. About 1-in-3 women and 1-in-7 men have experienced abuse.