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‘Take Back the Night’ Remembers Victims of Domestic Violence

Oct. 23, 2008 — Paulette Joseph. Georgia Gottlieb. Marcelina Corporan. These women, all with ties to St. John, were just three of the 42 women and children across the territory who were victims of domestic violence in the last several decades.
"We're here not to celebrate, but in observance of those who lost their lives," St. John resident Lorelei Monsanto said.
Four drummers sounded a somber note as about 40 people carrying candles marched from the Cruz Bay tennis courts to Cruz Bay Park in St. John's annual Take Back the Night observance.
"The darkness represents the danger of the night," Shelley Williams, director of the St. John Community Crisis Center said as she explained the significance of the event.
Joseph was the latest to die. A Westin Resort and Villas employee who lived on St. Thomas, she died Jan. 28 after Lemy Vergile beat her to death with a rock. Joseph was Vergile's former girlfriend.
Gottlieb, a St. Thomas resident who worked for V.I. National Park on St. John, died July 29, 2005, after her former boyfriend, Mitchell Nicholas shot her to death.
Corporan died Feb. 28, 1997, on St. John after she was stabbed seven times by her partner, Gordon "Nevo" Doway. He then set fire to their apartment in Contant, killing himself in the blaze.
Those who marched carried signs with the names of those who died. When the name was called, they went to the park stage to extinguish their candle.
"To signify a spirit that was lost that day," Williams said.
St. John resident Esperanza Pickering wore the sign with Joseph's name on it.
"When I heard that story, I was so saddened by it. I chose her," Pickering said.
Delrise Varlack, a St. John resident on the St. John Community Crisis Center board, called domestic violence a "hush" issue.
"Especially in local families," she said.
Varlack no one talks about it until someone dies.
Police Department Detective Carolyn Hendricks spoke about the difficulty in getting domestic violence victims to come forward for help.
"When the victims don't want to come in, we need the neighbors to help them," she said.
The Community Crisis Center announced the winners of its essay contest on domestic violence. Kiarah Penn won for Gifft Hill School, Clarissa Dowling for Julius E. Sprauve School and Kennisha Estrada for Guy Benjamin School.
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