The violence that has rocked the island in recent years has cost more than just the lives of young men, says Gina Spence.

Over the past seven years, she has worked with the families of more than 50 children who have lost fathers through violent crime. In some cases, the same children have been forced to endure multiple blows.

“We were at the house of a young boy, talking to his mother about possible mentors to be that male figure,” Ms Spence said.

“We talked about godparents. The little boy in the living room picked up a picture of his christening and every male in that picture was dead. These were people who were actively involved in his life. That was telling. It was extremely telling.”

In another recent case, she said a young girl had lost two father figures due to violent crime.

“Her father had gone to prison for murdering someone when she was four, so the first years of her life her father lived in prison,” she said. “Years later, her mother’s boyfriend or fiancé was murdered. This was the man who served as her father.

“She was the first person we know of who has walked down both paths, and she is only six.”

For seven years, the Gina Spence Productions’ Champions Programme has worked with the families of those who have lost their lives to violence to help keep young people on the right path.

Before the recent fatal stabbing of Raymond Butterfield, Ms Spence said more than 50 children — at least 26 boys and 29 girls — had been left fatherless by violent crime.

The Champions Programme is designed to assist those young people and their families, providing counselling and support to help them deal with the pain and grief of their loss.

“We have seen the light at the end of the tunnel in some cases, people getting straight A’s and doing extremely well,” she said. “We are seeing the rainbow at the end of the storm in more cases that not.”

She said the programme was now working with the Boston-based Comfort Zone camp, a non-profit camp dedicated to helping children work their way through grief in a healthy manner.

“Comfort Zone have been extremely generous and they do not charge us for the services they provide,” she said. “We had our first family go over and experience it, and so far we have seen positive change with that child through extended care.”

However, even with the free camp, she said the programme was looking for members of the public to assist with the cost of consultation, referrals and the expense of travelling to and from the camp by “sponsoring” a child.

And she said the organisation was hoping to bring a chapter of the Comfort Zone programme to Bermuda, but the initiative would take both time and money.

Asked about trends, she said that over the years the age of those killed, and those left behind, appears to be getting younger.

“This last stabbing incident ... the child was just a few months old. The services we provide are usually for children between five and seven,” she said.

“We are now having to think about these children who are in a position where they have never known their fathers and how that affects the development of that child and what happens when they are old enough to ask about their fathers.

“We have seen quite a few families relocate. Those numbers have increased in recent years.”

Asked why families are choosing to leave the island, she said: “From what they have told us, some people really wanted a change from the regular reoccurance. Obviously, every time there is a murder, you relive it and go through the process again. Some of these people have gone through multiple murders, and the children are being exposed multiple times.

“In the case of others, the cases are unsolved so there hasn’t been any closure. In some, it’s financial. Once the other parent passed, the remaining parent struggles to maintain what is required to raise children in Bermuda.

“There’s also the change in Bermuda’s culture. People don’t want to live in a place they feel unsafe. The violence has changed the way that we live.”

For more information, visit www.ginaspenceproductions.com.