The Silent Witness Silhouette Project seeks to raise awareness about the impact of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking in Kansas by honoring victims who have lost their lives to this violence.

The Silent Witness Silhouettes are life-sized, retractable displays with silhouette images of a person. Each Silhouette represents the story of a Kansas victim who lost their life to sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking. They were members of their Kansas communities and someone’s family, friend, or co-worker.

Their stories remind us that this violence may occur when victims try to protect their families or merely live their lives but quite often, it is at the very point they attempt to leave their abusers.

Each year, the Silent Witnesses travel throughout Kansas – to communities large and small – to raise awareness at trainings, community presentations, events, and other awareness-raising activities.

In 2021 over 70,000 victims of sexual and domestic violence and stalking received victim services in Kansas through a network of 25 domestic/sexual violence advocacy agencies that provide direct services in all 105 counties in Kansas. This included over 3,500 victims who found refuge in safe shelters, totaling nearly 89,000 shelter bed nights. However, advocacy programs also received over 1,800 unmet requests for shelter because the shelter was at capacity and the program lacked the additional resources needed to provide emergency accommodations, such as hotel rooms, to victims.

Free and confidential help is available 24/7 for individuals experiencing domestic and sexual violence. Those seeking help may contact the Kansas Crisis Hotline at 888-363-2287 or find their local advocacy program at www.kcsdv.org/find-help.