More than three dozen people gathered outside the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain on Sunday night to pay tribute to Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal on the one-year anniversary of her brutal murder.
While the majority of the modest crowd were members of various social activist groups with whom Seetahal interacted during her career, a few could trace their first interaction with the former State prosecutor to when they had found themselves on the wrong side of the law in the past.
Many reminisced on their experiences with Seetahal, some choosing to criticise acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams for apparent delays in completing the investigation into her murder.
Organiser of the candlelight vigil, Gillian Wall, co-founder of the Powerful Ladies of T&T (Plott), did not place all the blame on the police as she said citizens needed to band together with them (police) in order to solve the crime and others like it.
"We have to unite together as a people and take personal responsibility for where we are heading. The accomplices of this crime include you and me if together we do not bring these parties to justice," Wall said.
Clearly disappointed by the poor turnout, Wall noted that there had been also been poor attendance at a memorial service in Tunapuna organised by Seetahal family the previous night.
"One year ago at Dana's funeral the crowds packed the church, stretched out pass the driveway and spilled out unto the road. That was not the case last night at the memorial service where the crowd barely filled half the church. As a society, we forget too quickly," Wall said.
She also sought to reject criticism from other NGOs who she said claimed that her group was focused on Seetahal's murder at the expense of thousands of other victims whose crime have also gone unsolved.
"We are not just calling on justice for Dana, we are doing so because we all require justice. We (Plott) are actively plotting for T&T and trying to address the sinister and deeply disgusting criminal elements that continue to unravel if not completely destroy the fabric of our society," Wall said.
In his poignant tribute to Seetahal, Wayne Chance of prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration group Vision on a Mission, praised her for her support of his organisation in its formative years.
"Whenever we needed legal advice and support she was always ready. It is only fitting that we stand in this call for justice for her because we believe the situation is very unfortunate," Chance said.
Other attendees included former government minister Mary King and Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah, both of whom opted to join in silent solidarity with the other advocates.
A handful of Seetahal's relatives including her sister Susan Francois, head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), attended and thanked those present for their continued support.
