Community service order for libidinous priest revoked

The measure to replace  60 months of jail time with community work for a  Catholic priest was revoked Thursday, July 14, during an appeal hearing.

The Public Ministry reported that the Court of Appeals confirmed the sentence of 5 years in prison for the priest, Luis Ruiz Quiroga, convicted of libidinous acts to the detriment of a minor under 17 years of age.

He was denounced on June 30 and faced a hearing on July 5 and was sentenced.

However, his defense asked for the sentence to be replaced by community service

According to the Judicial Branch, the judge observed during a hearing that the sanctioned person “meets the necessary requirements in terms of functions, hours and supervision.”

For this reason, she granted the replacement of the sentence, a measure that was appealed by the Second Section of Crimes Against Freedom and Sexual Integrity of the Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office.

The 51-year-old priest worked in the Cristo Redentor Church, in San Miguelito and previously in the Espiritu Santo parish on December 24. He was removed from his post, the Archdiocese of Panama reported in a statement.