Attorney General Alan Wilson led the 28th annual Silent Witness Ceremony at the South Carolina State Capitol Complex in Columbia, marking National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The event honored victims of fatal domestic violence from across the state who lost their lives in the previous year.
During the ceremony, Wilson read aloud the names of thirty-five women and eleven men who died as a result of domestic violence. Family members and friends carried life-sized silhouettes representing each victim to the steps of the State House. A bell was rung for each person, and an additional silhouette was included to represent potential unknown victims.
“This Ceremony reminds us that every life lost to domestic violence was a life of value and purpose. We honor their memory by strengthening our commitment to justice, protection, and the prevention of violence in our communities,” said Attorney General Alan Wilson. “Let us continue to stand with survivors through awareness, training, resource building, advocacy, and action.”
The Violence Policy Center’s 2023 report analyzed 25 years of data on domestic violence fatalities. Although state rankings were temporarily suspended due to changes in FBI reporting systems, South Carolina ranked among the top ten states for female homicide victims killed by males between 1996 and 2020. In more recent years, South Carolina ranked 11th in 2020 and 23rd in 2022.
A summary released by the Violence Policy Center in September 2025 highlighted national trends for homicides involving men killing women during 2023. The analysis found that nine out of ten women killed were murdered by men they knew.
Religious leaders and community members joined Wilson at the ceremony to emphasize ongoing concerns about domestic violence within South Carolina. A full statistical breakdown by county is available at https://www.scag.gov/inside-the-office/criminal-division/special-prosecution/violence-against-women-act-vawa/.
The ceremony concluded with a reading of all forty-six named victims from counties across South Carolina, ranging in age from young adults to seniors.
