Report finds serious failures in Panama archdiocese's handling of abuse cases

On September 22, 2026, the Archdiocese of Panama came under detailed public scrutiny over its handling of sexual abuse cases involving minors and vulnerable people. The report, presented at the Universidad Santa María la Antigua (USMA) by the Commission on Transparency, examines 37 complaints recorded between 2001 and 2025 and concludes that the archdiocese's response and prevention procedures need substantial improvement.

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta, who requested the review voluntarily and under no court order, publicly asked victims for forgiveness. "In the face of abuse we cannot remain silent," he said. At the event, the report said sexual abuse causes especially grave harm when it occurs in institutions responsible for protecting vulnerable people, deepening the breakdown of trust.

The Commission on Transparency is made up of international experts on the handling of abuse in the Church and was funded by the University of Notre Dame Law School and Universidad Villanueva in Madrid. It reviewed the archdiocese's files, conducted interviews and collected firsthand testimony. Of the 37 complaints on record, only 24 were examined; the rest fell outside the archdiocese's jurisdiction or did not involve minors.

The review found serious gaps in how complaints were handled. It described the files on the complaints as "manifestly insufficient," which makes it difficult both to reconstruct what happened and to hold anyone to account. The report also found no adequate system for hearing victims: in just two of the 24 cases is there a record that the victim was heard, compared with at least eight in which the accused was heard.

The commission said the archdiocese has improved its handling of these cases over the past 25 years but warned that significant shortcomings remain in its procedures. Its recommendations include setting up independent channels centered on victims' rights and adopting codes of conduct governing contact with minors and vulnerable people.

Ulloa said a culture of protection cannot rest on written rules alone and must involve every member of the Church community. He also committed to working with civil authorities on complaints that require it and to reviewing current practice to strengthen prevention.

The report concludes that the archdiocese must ensure effective cooperation with the civil justice system and set up a record-keeping system that documents every communication relating to abuse complaints. The commission welcomed the archdiocese's decision to request an independent review and publish the findings. The initiative began as a voluntary exercise in institutional accountability, with no outside complaint prompting it.