ODESSA, Texas — An Interfaith Vigil was held Thursday by both Safe Place of the Permian Basin and Crisis Center of West Texas, honoring the victims of domestic violence and all types of abuse.
A total of 17 victims were honored at the vigil as families and friends poured into Connection Christian Church of Odessa.
According to Crisis Center of West Texas Program Education Director, Alejandra Ramirez, her department reaches out to families to get pictures of the victims in order to properly honor them. The Texas Council for Family Violence also sends out reports of victims, which the Crisis Center uses in their research.
“Those people really should still be with us today, and with it being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I think what better way than to spread awareness?" Ramirez said. "We invite friends, family and loved ones of these victims to help so they can help honor them.”
For many, it can be difficult to pinpoint the signs of domestic violence, but if one is to look close enough, the signs are there.
“A lot of people think it's just physical violence, but there's also emotional, verbal, mental and sexual violence as well," Ramirez said. "I feel like some of the key ones that people maybe miss the most would be isolation. Not letting their partner hang out with other people visit their family like they used to and intimidation as well.”
If these signs are caught early enough, then a person can be saved from an abusive relationship or even one that can turn deadly.
“It's important that we remember that many, many domestic violence homicides happen in Texas every year, and it's important to remember that there's help out there," said Judy Drury, a family violence therapist with Safe Place of the Permian Basin. "Sometimes these homicides are predictable, therefore they can be preventable.”
There are places out there that can help out. It can be intimidating to reach out. What Thursday night’s vigil showed is that nobody is alone when it comes to domestic violence.
“If you're out there and you're living with this or you know someone else that's living in an abusive situation, there's help out there," Drury said. "You're not alone. and there's places that can come, that you can come to help.”