Community & Business
12 May, 2023
Vigil for victims
A CANDLELIGHT vigil was held at Anzac Park in Atherton last week to remember those who have lost their lives to domestic violence just a few days after local nurse Lynne Wright was allegedly murdered by her husband.
According to recent statistics, there were 51 known domestic and family violence (DFV) related deaths in Australia between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023, including 41 women and girls, as well as 10 boys and men.
Of these deaths, Queensland recorded the highest number of DFV-related fatalities in this period, with a total of 15 deaths, followed closely by New South Wales with 12.
The vigil, which was hosted by Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service (CRDVS), attracted around 30 locals to Anzac Park to commemorate Ms Wright and others who have lost their lives at the hands of their partners.
“The community participat-ing in ceremonies such as (the vigil) is particularly important to victims of domestic and fam-ily violence as there is still such a silence around this issue,” CRDVS CEO Sandra Keogh said.
“It is an opportunity for community members to show their support and keep these deaths visible when so often they are a brief headline. So many survivors and victims’ families are forced to carry a silent burden themselves.”
