Mapp attends St. Croix observance for murder victims

Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp took part in the 10th annual observance of the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims on Sept. 25 at the Sunny Isle Amphitheater on St. Croix.

During the event, organized with participation from the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, Mapp spoke about a childhood friend who was killed by her former spouse.

As part of a presentation titled "Reflections of Life & Love," the coalition displayed a Wall of Remembrance listing 823 St. Croix residents whose killings, dating to 1974, remained unsolved, according to the organization. The observance also included a screening of "No One Knows," a song about domestic violence and abuse written and performed by Mada Nile.

The government statement said Mapp had worked with the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix while serving as a senator in the 15th Legislature, which passed the territory’s first domestic-violence statutes.

LaVonne Wise, fundraising coordinator for the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, also spoke about the "USVI Says No More" campaign, which the statement said began in 2017 as a collaboration among the coalition, the Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council, and the Family Resource Center.

According to the statement, Congress designated Sept. 25 in 2007 as the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims to honor people killed in homicides and recognize the effects on families and communities.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/u-s-virgin-islands-remembers-murder-victims/