Desperate calls were made for a change in legislation on Wednesday night at the candlelight vigil held for Chena Trott and other victims of violent crime.

Ms Trott was was stabbed at the Crawl Tiger- market in Hamiltoon Parish on August 9. A Bermudian man is in Police custody.

"There is no easy answer to violence in Bermuda," said Penny Dill of the Women's Resource Centre. "We have to come together to try and find solutions to this problem." Among other changes to current legislation Ms Dill suggested that Police needed more power to prosecute perpetrators, a domestic violence task force needed to be formed, and the implementation of a domestic violence unit, which she said was a long time in the making - according to her it had been requested five years ago. As she addressed the crowd of around 300, she urged them to sign a circulating petition which called for the changes. The signatures will be presented to Government on August 30 after a march planned for that day.

"We have to empower the Police so they can do something. "We are not fighting just for women, but for the community as well," she said.

And while Patricia Harvey-Burch of the Physical Abuse Centre challenged Government to place the spotlight on women's issues, she said women also needed to take responsibility for their well-being and understand that a restraining order alone will not protect them. "It will not protect you by itself. It's just a tool," she said. "It's not up to the Police to supervise the orders."

Citing 34 murders in the last ten years, Sheelagh Cooper of the Coalition for the Protection of Children, questioned the behaviours of violent males in the community and said: "Maybe we need to ask ourselves the question, 'what have we done, or not done, to create men who have such rage?',"

While a veil of peace blanketed the air, the crowd listened intently as Karim Wales, the CedarBridge Academy security guard who was stabbed this year, recounted his times with Ms Trott and broke into tears as he tried to figure out what was happening to the Island's young men.

"Most of the crimes are by boys who claim to be men. What are we to do?" he asked.

The events of the evening seemed to put people in a reflective mood.

One woman told The Royal Gazette: "It could have been me. I thank the Lord that I was able to get out of my abusive relationship with my husband. If it wasn't for a man who intervened one night, who knows where I would be today?"

Said another woman standing nearby: "We need to stick together. People need to stop turning their backs to others in need."

And Annette Joyiens, who was one of Ms Trott's closest friends said she hoped that good things came out of the vigil. "I was extremely moved by what happened tonight and I'm glad that Chena's death has resulted in something positive. I hope that all of this is not in vain."