FOREST HILLS — The city will sponsor a self-defense class for women in Forest Hills in response to a spate of rapes and robberies that have plagued the neighborhood since May.
The class, set to be held at the Forest Hills Jewish Center on Aug. 8, will teach techniques that will help women protect themselves during a violent assault.
"Nobody should have to feel vulnerable or scared to walk in their own neighborhood," city Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, who is co-sponsoring the event with city Council Speaker Christine Quinn, said in a statement.
"With the recent sexual assaults, it is important for the community to stay vigilant and empower themselves with information to keep safe."
The city held a similar self-defense class in Manhattan in April in after a series of gropings occurred on the Upper East Side and downtown.
Three women have been sexually assaulted in Forest Hills since May 19. A fourth woman was robbed at knifepoint. Police are hunting for the main suspect in the assaults, Ibrahima Ragis, 20 and no arrests have been made.
The class will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Forest Hills Jewish Center at 106-06 Queens Blvd. and is open to women age 13 and up.
