Advocates say the murder of a local London, Ont., woman is a devastating loss and one that, like all cases of violence against women, should not be forgotten.
On Wednesday, a memorial bench was unveiled just outside the Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre on Elizabeth Street in London to a group of family, friends, advocates, and local politicians in honour of Cheryl Lynn Sheldon, 62.
The site has a plaque that reads, “In loving memory of my sister Cheryl Sheldon — taken from us far too soon by femicide. There is a hole in my heart where you will dwell eternally. We all love you, sis, and you will never be forgotten.”
On June 22, Cheryl was found with life-threatening injuries in an apartment building on Wharncliffe Road North, near Western Road. She was rushed to hospital where she later died.
George Kenneth Curtis, 44, has been charged with second-degree murder in her death, and police said the two were known to each other and took the opportunity to remind the public of support services available for victims of intimate partner violence.
Local violence against women’s advocate Fabienne Haller says it has been reported that Cheryl sought help from a local women’s shelter before her death but was unable to get a bed due to there not being enough space.
“When a woman is finally reaching out for help, and she can’t get it, it’s devastating,” says woman’s advocate Fabienne Haller.
Haller used to work at the London Abused Women’s Centre and said that while she did not know Cheryl personally, she and the centre’s former executive director, Megan Walker, wanted to ensure she was not forgotten.
“There are so many times women are killed through femicide, and they become invisible. They become forgotten. Nobody remembers their name. It’s maybe in the news one day, gone in a week, but these are very important people of our society,” Haller says.
“These women contribute to society. It doesn’t matter what your race is. It doesn’t matter your socioeconomic background. Every woman around the world has value and brings value to society.”
The European Institute of Gender Equality defines femicide as the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender, and can take different forms, such as the murder of women because of intimate partner violence; the torture and misogynist slaying of women; killing of women and girls in the name of “honour”; etc.
The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability report found that in Canada, every 48 hours, a woman or girl was killed violently, primarily by men.
Haller and Walker set up a crowdfunding campaign for the bench earlier this year to have a permanent place for people to remember Cheryl and reflect on the impacts of violence against women. Part of the money is also being raised to help the family cover her funeral expenses.
Cheryl was laid to rest near family in Fitch Bay Cemetery in Quebec, according to her obituary.
“It’s just so sad to see this happen in our community, and just as I say, so preventable,” Walker said during the ceremony.
Walker, who currently sits on the London Police Services Board, said during the unveiling ceremony that Cheryl’s case underscores the importance of advocating for more funding and education about the violence women face and femicide.
Cheryl’s brother, Mark Sheldon, who travelled from Quebec for the ceremony said his sister was a brave, good person who would never hurt anybody.
Mark said he hoped what happened to his sister was a wake-up call to take action against femicide.
“I hope that they start waking up their eyes and see that it actually is a problem. It’s not normal. It’s not normal that a man could be doing these things to women,” Mark said.
The City of London declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in July 2023.
London Mayor Josh Morgan, also at the event, called on everyone to talk to the males in their lives about treating women with respect.
“We have to make that a personal issue, and we have to take action each and every day,” Morgan said.
“All the actions that government can take are great, but actually takes individuals and starts us down a path that actually respects each and every person in this community, no matter what their gender is, as humans and as partners together.”
With files from Global News’ Scott Monich