A few hundred people gathered in West Market square in Bangor Wednesday, clad in black t-shirts, to march in solidarity against domestic violence abuse.
At least 250 people registered for the Oct. 18 quarter-mile march around downtown hosted by Partners for Peace, which provides services and support to victims of abuse in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.
It’s “helpful for our community to get together in public,” both as a means of unity, but also to show that “domestic abuse in our community will not be tolerated,” said Casey Faulkingham, Partners for Peace community response team leader.
About half of all homicides committed in Maine each year are domestic violence related, according to the most recent report by the Domestic Abuse Homicide Review Panel. In the last decade, about 16 percent of homicides nationwide were related to domestic violence, according to U.S. Justice Department statistics.
Nationally, roughly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are victims of domestic violence abuse.
Partners for Peace serves about 1,600 victims each year, Faulkingham said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.