Anson County Domestic Violence Coalition held its annual vigil Thursday outside the Anson County Courthouse, where silhouettes of deceased victims of domestic violence were placed in a line.
The silhouettes stand in place for Laura Parker, Rebecca B. Morrow, Cindy B. McIntyre, Linda Kay Walters, Argatha H. Clark, Connie Newton, Mary Jane Lee Suess, Mary Polk, Danette Streater, Daisy Coleman Melton, Larry Lindsay, Sherri Feely Marshall, Doretha Polk Smith, Deborah Wall Smith, Jennifer Dawn Howell, Elnora Sturdivant, Kim Campbell, Rodney Smith, Linda McCain, Joseph Michael Hall, and Daejunae Williams.
The Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Pi Chi National Sorority, Inc. presented the ACDVC with $500, and also has plans to bring a care basket to the ACDVC office.
Karen Baucum, executive director of the ACDVC for 14 years, gave facts of domestic violence in Anson County
Since the last vigil, there has been 441 domestic violence calls; has served over 347 victims, 309 females and 38 males; and there was one silhouette added to those that were already there.
“That’s 21 futures that will never reach capacity, 21 dreams never to be reached,” she said. “That’s someone’s mother, daughter, sister, father, uncle, brother gone because of domestic violence.”
Baucum went on to say domestic violence is the most silent crime there is because people want to think it’s not happening here.”
She also said that Anson County is very lucky. The county had the first domestic violence and sexual assault team, and the only one in North Carolina that responds to all sexual assault and domestic violence calls
“We cannot do this without the partnership with the Wadesboro Police Department, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office, the magistrate’s office and 911,” Baucum added. “We work very well together and they call us so that we can be there right after violence has occurred.”
Members of the ACDVC go to court with the victims, help with the paperwork, financially assist the victims, and help them relocate or maintain without the abuser.
Baucum said they have relocated or helped 20-40 victims maintain.
She also recognized staff of seven who along with her, are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sheriff Landric Reid said the truth is that domestic violence is a whole year, and not just one month.
“There are victims every single day of the year,” Reid said. “There’s a lot of cases where there are domestic situations going on, the abuser intimidates the one that he’s abusing.”
Reid said it’s usually power that allows the victims to be intimidated of their abuser.
“The abuser usually has some type of power over the one that he’s abusing.,” he added. “There’s a lot of stories standing out here, and year after year, we hear new stories.”
Reid went on to say, “We hear new families come forward to talk about what’s happening in their family.”
He added that lots of times, when someone is killed in domestic situations, there were many signs that come before the victim is killed.
“As a community, what we have to do is get involved,” he said. Reid added that ACDVC works hard to help victims of domestic violence.
“For the work that they do, they don’t get paid enough for what they do,” he added. Last year, ACDVC had a victim sent to another county.
Nearly 20 people per minute are caught in a domestic violence situation, according to Reid. In addition, 85 percent of the victims are females, while 15 percent are males.
Reid also spoke about how male victims are appearing more frequently; most being abused by another male.
Iphraim Davis, the administrative first sergeant for WPD, said he was honored to attend the vigil.
Davis, who was stepping in for Chief Thedis Spencer also said he’s been in Wadesboro since 2007, and when he thinks of the ACDVC, he thinks of the word, empowerment.
What these ladies do as far as empowering the victims is phenomenal,” he said. “So many times, when we respond to victims, we have victims that are literally stuck in their circumstances.”
They either can’t physically leave their circumstances, or emotionally, and maybe even financially.
“What these ladies do is empower these victims to be able to do that, help them along the way, every step of the way,” he added. “I will do everything in my power to support them.”
Judge Weaver Thomas said he see a lot that the members do in the community, and he’s thankful.
Weaver, chief magistrate for the county, also said he’s work for the county 29 years, and he’s seen virtually every imaginable kind of domestic violence.
“You’re bringing a voice to those that are in need,” he added. “We come together, as we do on other occasions, to support those in need.”
He said when looking at the silhouettes, one said see the hurt.
Working almost 30 years, Weaver said there was a husband and wife whom would fight and go to jail. About 10-15 years later, their son and his girlfriend would fight, get beaten and bruised, and they would go to jail. Now, 29 years later, he’s had to see the same thing happen with the grandchildren.
“I see the hurt that domestic violence does to the family unit,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to be the voice.”
He went on to say, “You have to be careful who you allow to enter your life. We have an opportunity to do something, to touch one another, and to be of service.”
