SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Program on Assault to Be in Spanish

South County’s first Spanish-language workshop on sexual assault against women will be on Saturday in the San Juan Mission.

Called El Dia de la Mujer, or Day of the Woman, the program that runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature a panel of Latina experts on the law and sexual assault.

“We felt there was a strong need in the Spanish-speaking community for this kind of information,” said Troyce Thome, an event organizer. The program is being sponsored by the San Juan Mission and Aware, a South County group formed to combat crimes against women that has organized several seminars in the past year.

“One of the leaders in the Spanish-speaking community here attended one of our workshops and thought it would be a great program to bring to her community,” Thome said. “Any person can be a victim of sexual assault, regardless of ethnic background or age, although most victims of sexual assault are women.”

Participants will include Frances Munoz, a judge at Municipal Court in Newport Beach, Alma Buis of the Fullerton Police Department crime prevention unit, America Bracho of La Voz Radio and several other speakers.

The program will be conducted in Spanish and only women will be permitted to attend. Admission is free and child care will be provided without charge for youngsters over the age of 2.

Aware was formed last year in response to a rash of highly publicized sexual assaults in South County. For information about Aware or the seminar, call (714) 366-0852 or (714) 496-3118.