Panama Church abuse inquiry reveals administrative failures in landmark truth-seeking review

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama announced that an independent inquiry into sexual abuse within the Church revealed decades of negligent record-keeping and a system that prioritized perpetrators over victims. Speaking at a press conference on Sept. 22 at the Catholic University of Santa Maria La Antigua, the archbishop stated the investigation was intended to recognize mistakes and weaknesses to build a culture of protection rather than to defend the institution or justify past decisions.

The Transparency Commission, an international group of experts in fields including canon law, theology, clinical psychology, and sociology, conducted the review. Father Jordi Pujol, a canon lawyer and professor at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, led the commission. This investigation marks the first time a local diocese has undergone an independent academic review that was not mandated by a court or a government body.