The Veterans Affairs office in the Rio Grande Valley will hold an event for victims of sexual assault in the military.

Those attending will learn ways to express their emotions and support healing.

Dr. Jessica Carmona, a psychologist at the Veterans Affairs office in Harlingen, said she wants to bring relief to survivors of sexual violence in the military with the event “Unmasking the Silence: Expressing the Unspoken through Art.”

Using a blank mask, survivors heal by painting their own recovery journey.

"It is very personal. It is something that you can then share with others without having to be maybe overwhelmed by the story that is behind it," Carmona said.

For Esmeralda Castle, healing is just part of the process.

Castle is the mother of Navy Seaman Angelina Resendiz, a Brownsville woman who was found dead in June 2025 near Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

Prosecutors said Resendiz’s alleged killer, Jeremiah Copeland, had a history of sexual violence against female Navy officers

"These victims deserve some type of justice for what happened to them," Castle said.

The event is free for veterans and the public.

Unmasking the Silence: Expressing the Unspoken through Art will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the San Benito Cultural Center.

Click here to register.

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