Femicide victim to be honoured at Tuesday vigil

Vigil held in honour of Brkti Berhe Friends and community members gather at Paul Landry Park to pay tribute to the murder victim.

A community vigil will be held Tuesday night in honour of a mother of four murdered at a park broad daylight in front of her children.

Ottawa police have deemed the killing of Brkti Berhe, 36, on Oct. 24 a femicide. A 36-year-old man from Montreal has been charged with first-degree murder. Police said he'd had a relationship with a family member of Berhe.

"We are deeply impacted by this tragic loss of Brkti," said Yodit Girmay with the Mehari Centre, a volunteer-run organization that supports newcomers with bi-weekly drop-ins.

"And this is one way to really remember and ensure that her memory lives and also to be there for the family and support them and show them that we are here with them," Girmay said of Tuesday's vigil.

The vigil is set to get underway at 6 p.m. at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive.

A GoFundMe page has been started to help raise money for Berhe's husband and children.

"People need emotional support, practical support and financial support and this is really to help the family with immediate funeral expenses as well as for later on," Girmay said. "We also ask other stakeholders, all levels of government, to work with us, so that we can provide community-designed, compassionate and culturally affirming supports for our community members."