Silent March In Christiansted Brings Domestic Violence In Territory To Forefront

ST. CROIX — Over 50 pair of shoes were placed on the ledge of a wall near the Scale House in King Street, Christiansted, representing those who died as a result of domestic violence on this island. Called the “Shoe Project”, the names of the deceased victims were mentioned one by one as volunteers placed the shoes at the front of the area where cameras of media personnel and cellphones of residents who turned out in support of the annual event could see. The Shoe Project is also the most emotional segment of the annual March Against Domestic Violence, according to Women Coalition’s Crisis Counselor Sheelene Gumbs.

The march started at the St. John Anglican Church’s parking lot, as residents and officials — including Senators Sammuel Sanes, Kenneth Gittens, Novelle Francis, Jr. and Jean Forde — walked silently, candles lit, escorted by police vehicles in remembrance of lives lost through  domestic violence. The crowed seemed to be under one hundred, but the impact of the march, though silent, could be felt loud and clear to onlookers going about their separate ways.

Upon arrival at the location, various Women’s Coalition officials spoke about the importance of the event, including Director Khnuma Simmonds-Esannason, who encouraged attendees to wear black every Thursday of every week as a reminder of the ongoing struggle.

The most impactful talk of the night, however, was that of Daren Stevens, who, for the first time, shared some portions of the assault against him in St. Thomas a few years ago, which left Mr. Stevens critically injured and a female victim dead.

The incident, Mr. Stevens said, left him broken, angry and paranoid. He said that to this day, he keeps little to no friends, and still has anger problems whenever he thinks about it. Mr. Stevens, a widely popular personality in the territory, said he regrets not seeking counsel for the near-fatal incident because he’s had difficulty handling various emotions associated with it.

At one point, Mr. Stevens, also known as “Bogle”, paused for a moment as he recalled the memory of the female who was murdered, and her daughter who was left without a mother while his own children have their both parents. His talk, though different from the 54 other victims here, represented the devastating consequences that domestic violence leaves behind not only to those directly involved, but also the family and friends of victims.