A vigil to honour the Ottawa woman killed in what police are calling a devastating case of femicide is planned for Tuesday evening.
The Hunt Club Community Association reports that the vigil organized by the community’s city councillor will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Paul Landry Park.
The park is the same site where 36-year-old Brkti Berhe was killed last week.
Lewam Kidane from Ottawa is a friend of the family and says Berhe’s death is a tragedy.
“There are truly no words to explain all of this. They (Berhe’s family) are well supported by the community. But there is a big loss. A husband lost his wife, and four beautiful children have lost their mom,” she says.
Kidane says Berhe was a loving wife and mother who was well-liked and very involved in her community.
“She was kind. She was caring. She would easily light up a room when she came in and right now, there’s just a big sense of loss,” Kidane says.
On Thursday at around 11:25 a.m., police responded to reports a woman had been stabbed at a park near Uplands and Paul Anka drives in Ottawa.
Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson told reporters Friday that Berhe, a mother of four, had been in the park with two of her children when the attack happened.
“Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries that morning in front of two of her children,” Ferguson said.
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“Witnesses on scene quickly came to Brkti’s aid helping to protect the children and provide detailed description of the suspect who fled by car.”
A suspect was seen fleeing in a vehicle and was arrested on Highway 417 outside of Ottawa near Exit 66. Fsha Tekhle, 36, of Montreal, has been charged with first-degree murder.
Police allege Tekhle had a domestic relationship with a family member of the victim.
“This devastating event is a femicide. We take these matters very seriously and our hearts go out to the family at this time,” Ferguson said, adding that Tekhle was likely heading back to Montreal at the time he was caught.
Femicide is a term generally defined as the killing of a woman or girl based on their gender.
The European Institute of Gender Equality states femicide can take different forms, such as the murder of women because of intimate partner violence, the torture and misogynist slaying of women and the killing of women and girls in the name of “honour.”
Kidane has organized a GoFundMe to help the family cover funeral costs. Whatever is left will go towards Berhe’s husband taking care of their four young children.
She says Berhe leaves behind a husband and children aged eight months, three, 10 and 15.
The family, originally from Eritrea, moved to Ottawa a few years ago.
Kidane says the family takes comfort in knowing they are not alone from the outpouring of support they have seen from the community.
“It is a very overwhelming experience for the family, but they are very grateful that they have a big community behind them, from people that live in the community, from colleagues, to schools in the area, and the many people that they don’t know,” she says.
Kidane says the family is asking for privacy, so they can grieve their loss together.
To help Berhe’s family, the Hunt Club, a local Ottawa community group, has has also organized a collection of donations.
The group is organizing a collection of things for Berhe’s four children, including diapers, snacks and formula.
The group is also collecting messages of condolences for the family, which has asked for privacy at this time.
More information on how to help is available on the group’s Facebook page.
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