In conjunction with the annual Take Back the Night event, the international Silent Witness project will be on Wayne State University's campus April 21-25. COSW is leading the charge in working to help reduce violence against women and bring awareness to the issues of domestic and sexual violence.

Silent Witness is the visual representation of victims of domestic violence. Individual, life-sized red figures representing men, women and children murdered in acts of domestic violence in the state of Michigan will be on display around campus. Each figure includes breastplate shields sharing each victim's name and story.

The goals of Silent Witness include:

Remembering - Honoring those who lost their lives in domestic violence.

Awareness - Bringing attention worldwide to the extent of domestic violence.

Advocacy - Connecting people with successful programs for ending the violence.

Reporting - Demonstrating the effectiveness of intervention programs through data collection and presentation.

Wayne State University joins other college campuses nationwide in participating in the Silent Witness display. In an effort to engage youth and the broader Southeast Michigan community, the WSU Silent Witness displays were built by students in Robert Hinderer's Industrial Arts & Design: Woods II class at Wyandotte's Roosevelt High School.

The Silent Witness displays can be found in the Faculty Administration Building, the College of Education, Community Arts Auditorium, School of Social Work and Student Center Building. The Silent Witness display will also be placed around campus in October in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness month.

To view more photos of the Silent Witness Project displays, visit our photo gallery.