PRESS RELEASE: Nearly One-Third of CT Homicides Linked to Domestic Violence: PCC Calls for Awareness, Action
Nearly One-Third of CT Homicides Linked to Domestic Violence: PCC Calls for Awareness, Action
Annual Silent No More Candlelight Vigil will bring community together October 7 in New Britain
NEW BRITAIN, CT – A mother and her two young daughters killed in Plainville. Other lives lost to domestic violence in communities across Connecticut. Families left grieving deaths that should never have happened.
Behind these individual tragedies is a sobering statewide reality: nearly one-third of Connecticut homicides in 2025 were linked to domestic violence.
This October, Prudence Crandall Center (PCC) is asking the community not simply to remember those lives, but to recognize what these deaths demand of all of us.
On Wednesday, October 7, PCC will kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month with its annual Silent No More Candlelight Vigil in New Britain – a time to honor those whose lives have been lost, stand with survivors, and strengthen a shared commitment to preventing the next tragedy.
Prevention begins well before a crisis. PCC works in area middle and high schools to help young people recognize abuse and build healthier relationships. At Central Connecticut State University, PCC is partnering with the Title IX Coordinator to reach more than 1,000 students, with education focused on recognizing warning signs, strengthening peer support, and ensuring students know where to turn when they are concerned about themselves or a friend.
And when violence has escalated, recognizing the risk can be a matter of life and death. Connecticut’s Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) gives responding law enforcement officers a standardized screening tool to identify victims at heightened risk of severe injury or death. When a victim is identified as high risk, the protocol provides for an immediate connection with a domestic violence advocate who can offer safety planning and support. Consistent use of tools like LAP is critical to recognizing potentially lethal danger and connecting survivors to help when time matters most.
“Domestic violence cannot be something we talk about only after another life has been lost,” said Barbara Damon, President & CEO of Prudence Crandall Center. “Awareness means recognizing the danger sooner and knowing how to respond. Prevention means reaching young people before abuse takes hold. And when someone is at serious risk, it means connecting them to safety. Preventing another senseless death takes all of us.”
PCC’s Silent No More Candlelight Vigil, generously sponsored by the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Foundation, will bring survivors, families, community members, and local leaders together for an evening of remembrance, reflection, and hope. Dr. William Petit of the Petit Family Foundation will again participate in the program, and cellist Matilda Petrela from the New Britain Symphony Orchestra will perform.
The Vigil is free and open to the public at 594 Burritt Street in New Britain. Light refreshments will be served at 6:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event will be held outdoors, weather permitting; if inclement weather prevents the Vigil from being held, it will be canceled.
Photography and videography during the Vigil are prohibited to protect survivor confidentiality. Advance interviews are available and encouraged to raise awareness about domestic violence, prevention, and the resources available to survivors.
That commitment is especially important at a time when key sources of government funding for domestic violence services are at risk. PCC relies on its caring community for more than 40% of the funding needed to sustain its work, making private support vital to ensuring services remain available when survivors need them most.
Community support helps ensure that when someone reaches out – whether in immediate danger, searching for safe housing, seeking support in court, or beginning to rebuild – someone is there to answer.
To learn more about supporting PCC’s work, contact Carolyn Jasper, Chief Development Officer, at 860-259-3817 or cjasper@prudencecrandall.org, or visit prudencecrandall.org.
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About Prudence Crandall Center
Prudence Crandall Center was Connecticut’s first domestic violence program and serves Berlin, Bristol, Burlington, Kensington, New Britain, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Terryville, with housing opportunities available to survivors from throughout Connecticut. Services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, supportive housing, court advocacy, counseling, and community education and prevention. All services are free and confidential. To access the 24-hour hotline, call or text 888-774-2900.
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