Archdiocese of Panama Presents a Report On the Handling of Sexual Abuse Complaints.

The Archbishop of Panama, Monsignor José Domingo Ulloa pictured above, reported that the Archdiocese of Panama has received 37 complaints related to cases of sexual abuse during the period between 2001 and 2025. Of that total, 24 would be directly linked to the Archdiocese.  The information was released through a report prepared by the religious entity in conjunction with the University of Villanueva in Madrid, Spain, and the University of Notre Dame, which presented a study on the management of cases of sexual abuse against minors and vulnerable people.  Ulloa explained that nine of the complaints involved cases related to minors. Of these, five reached the final stage of the canonical justice process, while the other four would not proceed through that avenue. 

Members of the Research Committee.

The archbishop also reported that at least 18 priests have been removed from their posts due to situations related to allegations of sexual abuse.  María José Valero, vice-rector of research and member of the transparency committee of Villanueva University, pointed out that “the report we are presenting collects and documents how the Archdiocese of Panama handled the complaints made; however, it is important to emphasize that the truth of the victims’ accounts does not depend on whether they have been documented by the institution.”  Valero stated: “This seeks to make visible what happened in the handling of complaints and to guide an institutional response based on truth, justice and responsibility.”