A candlelight vigil will be held tomorrow evening to honour the life of murder victim Chena Trott.

Organisers said yesterday they hoped the whole community would stand united against the violent crimes which are increasingly plaguing the Island by attending the ceremony which will be held in Victoria Park.

Ms Trott - a 32-year-old mother of three - was stabbed to death in broad daylight outside the Crawl Hill Esso Tiger Mart on August 9.

Last night, Coalition for the Protection of Children chair Sheelagh Cooper pointed out Ms Trott's death grimly marks Bermuda's 34th murder in the last decade. "Many of those have been women and children," she said.

Organisers Sharon Lynn Wilson, Geneva Humdy-Woodley, Patricia Harvey and Kita Hill told The Royal Gazette, in addition to honouring Ms Trott, a list of other individuals who have fallen prey to violent acts in recent years will be read out during the vigil. "We want to bring people together to start a healing," Ms Wilson said. "Sometimes after an incident like this people return to normal, process their anger and forget about it. We want to keep an awareness going.

"We should never forget the bigger picture of the family left behind."

Ms Humdy-Woodley said Ms Trott's death needlessly follows on a growing wave of unchecked violence. "We have had plenty of wake up calls in recent years," she said. "Chena's death may be the icing on the cake but the wake up calls have sounded before.

"They came with Rebecca (Middleton) and other victims of violent death. The beating of women hasn't stopped. The beating of tourists hasn't stopped. The purse-snatching hasn't stopped. The housebreaking hasn't stopped."

Ms Humdy-Woodley added: "Bermuda should wake up. The critical point is now. What are we going to do to change how many young women will fall prey to violence?"

Ms Cooper agreed that effective strategies to end the violence should be including on our collective focus as we remember Ms Trott. "We must recognise the life of this beautiful and special human being who was loved by so many in the community," she said. Twenty-five percent of Bermuda's children grow up as either witnesses to or victims of domestic violence, she said, adding: "Their first exposure to this kind of behaviour is in childhood."

Tomorrow's vigil will begin at 7.30 p.m. with a prayer and be followed by 90-minutes of speeches, poems, music and dance celebrating Ms Trott's life.

Ms Humdy-Woodley said response has already been incredible and large turnout is expected.

"A call will be rendered for unification around the issues of violence and brutality and our responsibility to keep this community safe for every woman, child and man," organisers said. "Let's refuse to be divided by race, colour, creed and nationality."