April 15, 2009, Ayacucho, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) will host a workshop for civil society Thursday on using the basic elements of forensic investigation in the search for the country’s “disappeared.”

The workshop, titled “The Contribution of Forensic Sciences in the Investigation and Judgement of Human Rights Violations,” is being presented at 6 p.m. at the Coliseum of the Universidad Nacional San Cristobal de Huamanga. The program is made possible by the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

EPAF is a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP).

During the workshop, EPAF staff members will teach basic elements of a forensic investigation, and help other civil society groups to understand the procedures and to strengthen their watchdog role in the process of finding Peru’s missing.

The event will be attended by Dr. José Ochatoma, Decan of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the university; Dr. Javier González, President of the Public Ministry of Ayacucho; Dr. Marcial Jara, President of the Supreme Court of Justice; Dr. Jorge Fernández, Representative of the Ombudsman Office in Ayacucho; Rafael Barrantes, Representative of the International Comitee of the Red Cross; moderator Dr. Alejandro Silva, Project Director of Freedom House; and Juan Carlos Tello, Forensic Archaeologist of EPAF.

The event is free and open to the public.