COLUMBIA - Those gathered on the Statehouse steps Monday didn't need another example to illustrate their message.

It arrived anyway, in the form of Michael Simmons.

Police believe that Mr. Simmons, 41, killed his wife and four of her children in North Charleston on Saturday.

On Monday, relatives and friends of South Carolinians killed in domestic violence attacks in 2005 met at the Capitol for the annual "Silent Witness" ceremony - a memorial service for those who died and a call to action for everyone else.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"Events like that (the Charleston County killings), as tragic as they are, need to be a signal to us that there's work to be done," Attorney General Henry McMaster said.

Data show that domestic violence continues to be a significant issue in South Carolina. State officials, however, believe they have taken significant steps toward attacking the problem.

Last year, the General Assembly passed a law that increases the penalties for domestic abusers and gives judges more legal training on domestic issues. In addition, a task force was appointed to study domestic violence and to make recommendations.

And the fiscal year 2007 budget includes $2.2 million to hire special criminal domestic violence prosecutors.

"What we need to do is to allow the legislation that's on the board time to work," said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, one of the Legislature's key proponents of domestic violence legislation.

Mr. McMaster said more can be done, not all of it requiring additional funding.

For example, he said, one judge has arranged the court schedule so that all of the cases appear on the same day. Victims' advocates and those who try to rehabilitate the offenders all come to court on those days and work with the justice system to help resolve the cases.

Rep. Don Smith, R-North Augusta, said he is still working with Karyn Grace to make it easier for victims of mental cruelty to get a divorce.

Ms. Grace's estranged husband killed her two boys in North Augusta last January.

Originally, they were trying to change the state constitution to allow "mental cruelty" as grounds for divorce, Mr. Smith said.

He said he believes there's not enough support in the House Judiciary Committee.

He and Ms. Grace will try, instead, to reduce the required waiting period for a divorce to be made final. Currently, it's one year. Mr. Smith and Ms. Grace hope to drop that down to three to six months.

"I have more confidence in being able to sell that to the Judiciary Committee," he said.

Andrea Mullins, whose husband tried to kill her in 1996, told the crowd that she feels a duty and obligation to share her story, to make a difference. She asked the gathering to fight together to end domestic violence.

"Too many have been hurt. Too many have suffered," Ms. Mullins said. "Too many - far too many - have died."