18th annual Silent Witness Domestic Violence Ceremony rescheduled
The 18th annual Silent Witness Ceremony hosted by the Attorney General’s office has been rescheduled after it was conceled due to historic flooding that enveloped the state a week ago.
Attorney Gen. Alan Wilson said the event will now be held on Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. on the south steps of the State House. The event, which recognizes the state’s domestic violence victims, was originally scheduled to be held on Oct. 6, but was canceled after heavy rains and flooding swept through the state.
During the ceremony, Wilson will call the name of each victim from the previous year as family, friends and volunteers carry life-sized silhouettes representing the victims. An additional silhouette will be held in order to remember all of the unknown victims.
The event will be open to the public, Wilson said.
South Carolina was ranked the worst state in the nation for deadly violence against women, according to a report released Tuesday by the Violence Policy Center.
Ranking first among states for women murdered by men, South Carolina had a rate of 2.32 women killed per 100,000 people in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available. The state’s rate is more than twice the national average and represents 57 known deaths, compared with 50 a year earlier, the study reported.
South Carolina ranked second deadliest state last year and has been in the report’s top 10 annually for the past 18 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 10:57 AM with the headline "18th annual Silent Witness Domestic Violence Ceremony rescheduled."