Domestic violence victims honored in SC State House event

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The Attorney General’s Office held the 29th annual Silent Witness Ceremony in honor of those who died from domestic violence in 2025.

The ceremony brought together families of men and women across the state who died. The intent of the annual events is to bring attention to one of South Carolina’s major public health and criminal concerns.

Several survivors and loved ones shared their message to advocate against further incidents occurring.

Stephanie Jacobs lost a family member due to domestic violence.

“Communication is key in everything,” Jacobs said. “But in a situation like this, I believe that we can make a difference and we can shut down some of the domestic violence issues if we just communicate and just for parents and loved ones, you know, just make sure you let the victims know, or the ones suffering that they are loved. They are loved and they are supported. And no ugly, no ugly incident is an ugly incident that you can’t face with your family and your loved ones.”

South Carolina was previously reported as one of the top 10 states for deaths from domestic violence incidents from 1996 to 2020.

Anyone experiencing domestic violence can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

The South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) lists places victims can turn to in every county on their website here.

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