HARTFORD, Conn. — About 100 people gathered at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford on Saturday and walked to support victims of domestic abuse.
The Interval House held its annual Jennifer Dulos Walk to end domestic violence Saturday.
Participants walked a mile in honor of those who have either lost their lives or survived domestic violence.
“I also have a friend who was murdered by her husband several years ago,” Monica Dicesare, a participant said. “It was just important to be here and raise awareness for the issue because it’s all around us.”
One in four women will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“We try to raise awareness across the community on this issue because it’s highly prevalent,” Mary-Jane Foster, Interval House president, said. “Just over the last month, Connecticut has seen an uptick in domestic violence that’s really horrific.”
Advocates say these cases show a lot of work still needs to be done to prevent these crimes.
“We as a society need to do a better job of supporting victims and survivors,” Jessica Garcia, Interval House director of community programs, said. “One of the ways we can do that is through events like this, to really bring it out in the open. And to not only bring victims and survivors together to advocate for themselves but also to let folks know this is a real issue in our community, and we need to come together and be a part of the solution.”
Something stressed throughout the event was that domestic violence can happen to anyone.
To this day, the body of Jennifer Farber-Dulos has never been found.
Dulos went missing in May 2019, and prosecutors say she was killed at her home in New Canaan by her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, who took his own life before he could be tried.
His girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, is serving a 14-and-a-half-year sentence for her role in the conspiracy to commit murder.
“That case teaches us that it can happen and does happen to anyone, and that’s why, with blessings from her family, we named this walk in her honor,” Foster said.
Garcia says the important work done by Interval House isn’t limited to adults.
“We’re working with children as young as five years old, talking about healthy friendships; we’re talking about boundaries and consent,” Garcia said.
Participants say that including children in these kinds of events and conversations is important.
“Just seeing the younger people that are here and the kids that are here just learning about it from an early age can really make a difference,” Dicesare said.
Proceeds from the walk will go towards the interval house intervention services for victims of domestic violence.
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