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Panama crime surge 2026

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2026-07-28 20:09 UTC → 2026-07-28 21:09 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Mid‑2026 data confirm a sharp escalation in gender‑based violence in Panama. Between January and June, femicide victims rose to 13 – an 86 % increase over the seven recorded in the same period of 2025 – and 17 attempted femicides were reported, up 89 % year‑on‑year. Six of the killings involved firearms. The murders, concentrated in the San ~~Miguelito~~ Miguelto district of Panama Province and in Panama Oeste, mainly affected women aged 18‑44. In May, public prosecutor Patricia Ossa Sánchez was slain; the Ministry of Public responded by issuing the “Protocolo Patricia,” a technical guide for investigating femicide cases named after her. The protocol was drafted by the Institute of Prosecutor Training with support from UN Women and aims to standardise evidence‑gathering, case‑building and judicial decisions across the country. The National Police also reported a broader surge in domestic‑violence complaints, with 12,475 incidents logged from January to June – a 22 % rise – of which 9,239 were classified as domestic‑violence crimes. Separately, authorities documented ten disappearances of elderly individuals among 57 missing‑person reports, underscoring a wider public‑safety crisis. Women’s rights groups have condemned the femicide spike and called for stronger protective measures, while elder‑rights advocates demand improved investigations into missing‑person cases.

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