Within a community center in the Annapolis Valley of Nueva Scotia, the posters collages show photos of a young woman with a big smile on her face. She shows with her arms wrapped around family members, being dumb in selfies with friends, proud with a high school graduation dress.
The photos decorate the celebration of the life of Paiyton Pick, a 22 -year -old who was killed in January, his body found inside a house in Centerville, NS, who had caught fire.
Her boyfriend, Justin Joseph Benjamin, 28, has been accused of second degree murder and fire caused by human life.
Police say this was a case of intimate couple violence, the last one in a spike that has left six dead women in Nueva Scotia since October.
Paiyton’s family does not want his memory to fade as a victim or a statistic: they want his death to lead to change.
“I want her to be remembered as the carefree, friendly and loving she was. She brought joy to everyone’s life,” said Paiyton’s mother, Norma Jean Pick, CBC News in an interview in the celebration of life.
“This world is a darker place because it is not in it.”
Paiyton’s aunt, Darby Barnaby-Lingard, said that the violent death of her niece has left her shocked. She is asking for more education in schools to recognize and prevent domestic violence, and the increase in mental health care in rural areas.
“There must be something else,” he said. “It’s sad that these six lives come out, and it really hurts to know that it was my niece.”
CBC News requested interviews with Education Minister Brendan Maguire, the Minister of Addictions and Mental Health, Brian Eating and the Minister of Justice, Becky Druhan. A spokesman said that eating and Druhan will be available for an interview on Wednesday.
Pick and Barnaby-Lingard said Paiyton began dating Benjamin a year ago. They saw warning signs that he was controlling and isolating her, and at the time of her death, Paiyton was not talking to her family regularly.
“I was a little lost and confused and tried to overcome things and I feel he played in that,” said Barnaby-Lingard.
Barnaby-Lingard believes that the relationship was damaging Paiyton’s mental health, which culminated in an attempt to take his life the past autumn. She went to the hospital, but her aunt said she was not connected with any continuous attention when she was discharged.
“We expected that at least I would have had a 24 -hour control to talk to someone and try to solve things. But it was like one or two hours that returned it again.”
‘We need to change as culture’
Xylia Fraser, Chrysalis House refuge manager, a Kentville refuge for women and children who experience domestic violence, echoed the calls for change of Paiyton’s family.
Fraser said his refuge has seen a strong increase in demand from pandemic, and cases are more severe.
She said that women in rural areas face unique barriers and are more likely to undergo a type of abuse called coercive control. Control is often psychological and financial, and women may not have access to support, transport or housing that must be left, according to Fraser.
She said that the norms in rural and very close communities can also make women feel ashamed and make them hide what happens for fear of being the victim’s fault.
“We hear so many times, why don’t you go? Well, that’s really complicated. An average of nine times is needed for someone to really abandon a relationship,” Fraser said in an interview on Tuesday.
“We have to remember … These women care and love the people with whom they are, right? And I don’t think any of us want to believe that the person we love and care is able to kill us.”
Fraser agreed that education on healthy relationships, consent, healthy coping skills and victims’ guilt should be part of the school curriculum from primary onwards.
He also said that mental health care is difficult to access in rural areas, and is not affordable for many without private insurance. She said that she hopes that the newly announced model of the province will be available practically and has minimal waiting times.
She, like many other defenders, said that an approach is needed throughout society to stop violence.
“We can’t do it for ourselves,” said Fraser. “We need to change as a culture and really stop accepting this and feeling that it is the responsibility of other people to do it.”
Pick and Barnaby-Lingard say they want others to learn from their family’s tragedy.
“We want people to pay attention,” said Barnaby-Lingard. “We just want people to open their eyes, pay attention and be careful with our loved ones.”
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