Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 5, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 5, 2021 Quote Two arrested in Shelter investigation Posted 04/03/2021 Authorities made two arrests, on Thursday, February 4 related to the childcare scandal in government monitored shelters. In the first instance, it was reported that a woman was apprehended in La Chorrera, Panama West for her alleged involvement in irregularities in a shelter. Police removed technological equipment during the raid. A second arrest was made at a residence in Arriajan of a woman linked to alleged child abuse. For three weeks there have been protests outside the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and the Family (Senniaf) headquarters to demand justice for the abuses that occurred in at least 14 shelters, documented in an extensive report by the Women's Commission. , Children and the Family of the National Assembly. The protesters demand the names of those in charge of the shelters where the abuses against minors were committed. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/two-arrested-in-shelter-investigation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 6, 2021 Quote SHELTER PROBE 2 women in preventive detention Posted 05/03/2021 Two women who were arrested Thursday, March 4, in Panamá Oeste, as part of the investigations that are being carried out for irregularities in shelters supervised by the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Family (Senniaf), will remain under provisional detention after separate court the on Friday. In the first hearing) the charge was made for a crime against the public administration, in the form of embezzlement in a shelter in Tocumen, whose population is minors between one year and 17 years of age. According to the investigations of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office carried out to date, irregularities have been registered in the handling of more than $90,000 relating to state subsidies for the operation of the shelter. This person was the signatory of the subsidies that were received by the State. It is not ruled out that the figure for that amount is higher or the involvement of other people. The facts are related to a complaint filed by the Ministry of Social Development in July 2020. For this same period, the MP, through the Family Section of the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office, issued a protection measure in favor of minors and evicted the administrators of the shelter. Second hearing In the second hearing, at the request of the Family Section of the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office, a woman was placed under provisional detention and charged with the alleged commission of the crime of mistreatment of a child or adolescent, for acts recorded in a shelter. Prosecutor Jessika Taylor presented elements collected in field procedures, searches, inspections and interviews, which link the accused today in these events registered in a shelter in Tocumen. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/shelter-probe-2-women-in-preventive-detention-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 6, 2021 Quote Scandal boss fired AFTER she resigned Posted 05/03/2021 Another layer of confusion has been added to the scandal of abuse in shelters for children and adolescents that has ignited three weeks of street protests. Mayra Inés Silvera, director for a month of the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf), was forced to resign and aired her version of events in an interview on Radio Panama. She said that on March 3, she was summoned to the Presidency and presented with a letter of resignation already that she had to sign. It does not detail the reasons for her removal from office. However, Silvera claims to have sent a resignation note written by her on February 25, in which she describes as "impossible under these circumstances" to make the necessary changes in the institution. Despite circulating rumors about the change of command the Presidency press office claimed: "not to have details." This, despite Silvera having been in the Presidency on March 3, signing her resignation reports La Prensa. Mayra Inés Silvera became the first official to leave the government in the midst of the scandal over the abuses committed in shelters under the custody Senniaf which she took over on February 2. One of PresidentCortizo's assistants presented her with a letter of resignation already drawn up, a document that she signed. She was surprised, she said because she had tried to resign from the position and they did not accept it in the Presidency. According to her version, they told her that they were going to support her, and she had even started hiring staff. "I feel humiliated and betrayed," she said. Silvera disclosed the two resignation letters: the one that they made her sign on March 3, that does not state the reasons for her departure and only says that it is for "reasons of a personal and professional nature." and the one he presented on February 25, in which he reveals the entity's realities: “Unfortunately I do not have the infrastructure, the equipment or the support to face the problems that have shocked the entire nation [... ] Without the required support, I cannot fight this great problem that involves aberrations against children and adolescents ”. Silvera also gave an interview to journalist Álvaro Alvarado through Instagram. She reiterated what she said on Radio Panama, and also said that the person who recommended her for the position was Carla García, former deputy director of Senniaf and today the governor of Panama. Silvera was ratified as Senniaf director on February 1 Eight days after she received the approval of the Legislative Assembly the Legislative Commission on Women, Children, Youth, and the Family presented the report that has triggered almost three continuous weeks of citizen protests and investigations in the Public Ministry. Her name, along with that of Carla García, former deputy director of the entity, was mentioned over and over again in the unstoppable citizen protests that demand actions in favor of the rights of children. and teenagers. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/scandal-boss-fired-after-she-resigned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 6, 2021 Quote OPINION - A shameful outrage Posted 05/03/2021 Yesterday, after hours and hours of speculation about the resignation of the hitherto director of the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf), the shameful outcome was known. On February 25, the director resigned from her position, but her letter was not received. Instead, a week later, the Government presented her with another note, drawn up by who knows who in the Presidency of the Republic, and which she wanted the official to sign without question. So there were two resignation letters: one written by the victim and the other spurious. But the author of the brilliant idea did not count on the director being able to report the outrage, as she did yesterday. And the reason for leaving office lies in the shameful fact that this institution is starved of support, equipment and infrastructure, necessary to deal with the serious problems afflicting the shelters. It is a reality that the Presidency wanted to hide. Now we realize (just in case there was the benefit of the doubt ...) that the Government, with this clumsy action, is acting as an accomplice to the scandal. They have handled everything related to this case so badly that it has exploded in their faces and they have not realized it.- LA PRENSA, Mar 5 https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-a-shameful-outrage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 7, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 7, 2021 Quote Third arrest in government shelters scandal Posted 06/03/2021 A third woman was arrested in Panama City on Saturday afternoon for her alleged involvement in the irregularities detected in government-supervised shelters in the country. The person is under investigation for the alleged embezzlement; she was allegedly in charge of running a shelter. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/third-arrest-in-government-shelters-scandal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 8, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2021 Quote Ombudaman's shelter report to UN, and prosecutor Posted 07/03/2021 The Ombudsman Eduardo Leblanc will present a report on 44 government monitored child care shelters to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday. Due to the distance and being an area of difficult access, it was not possible to visit a shelter in the community of Kankintú, Ngäbe-Buglé region, but it will be visited soon and an independent report will be made. The shelters report will also go to the Ministry of Social Development (Mides), to the National Secretariat for Children and Adolescents (Senniaf) and as a result of some issues, it will be transferred to the Public Ministry so that the Attorney General, Javier Caraballo can determine whether or not there was a crime. "We believe that the most important thing is to ensure the interest of children who are in shelters, also a call to the population to avoid comments that may hurt children who surely already present a psychological issue due to all this information," said Leblanc. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/ombudamans-shelter-report-to-un-and-prosecutor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 8, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2021 Quote Third woman held in shelters case Posted 07/03/2021 The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office obtained the provisional detention of a woman apprehended on Saturday in a Panama hotel in the case of the child shelters. in The judge admitted the legalization, arrest, and imputed embezzlement charges in an investigation related to the shelters, according to the Public Ministry. Earlier it was reported and that she allegedly served as the director of a shelter. The Public Ministry is advancing in the investigations of mistreatment and sexual abuse of minors. On Friday, two other women were ordered provisional arrest in the same case. One was charged with a crime against the public administration and another with mistreatment of a child or adolescent https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/third-woman-held-in-shelters-case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 9, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 9, 2021 Quote First alleged rape arrest in child shelter scandal Posted 08/03/2021 The Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office has reported the arrest of a man for the alleged commission of the crime against sexual freedom [rape] to the.detriment of a minor under 15 years of age, who was in a government-monitored shelter In a statement issued on Monday, March 8, the Public Ministry specified that the arrest took place in the village of Las Garzas and that the investigation of the Prosecutor's Office is linked to the irregularities committed against minors while they remained in some shelters at the same level. "The person apprehended is investigated for being identified as responsible for acting through threats and intimidation to sexually access the victim, a minor, while both were in a rehabilitation center," says the note from the Public Ministry. The person will be taken to a hearing of guarantees, where the imputation of charges will be requested. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/first-alleged-rape-arrest-in-child-shelter-scandal-4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 10, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 10, 2021 Quote 17 ongoing probes into shelters abuse Posted 09/03/2021 The Public Ministry (MP) has opened 17 investigations related to alleged mistreatment and sexual abuse of children and adolescents, as well as mismanagement of funds in shelters under the supervision of the Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Family (Senniaf). Public Ministry sources confirmed that some of the investigations date back to 2017 and that in one of these cases there was already a 10-year prison sentence reports La Prensa. On Monday officials from the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office and the National Police detained a man for the alleged commission of the crime of rape and libidinous acts to the detriment of a 15-year-old adolescent. According to investigations, the minor was transferred along with other adolescents to a rehabilitation center for adults in Las Garzas de Pacora and there she was a victim. Last weekend, the authorities arrested three women, who were charged with alleged abuse of minors and embezzlement. The authorities arrested yesterday a fourth person allegedly involved in the scandal of sexual abuse and mistreatment of children and adolescents, as well as administrative mismanagement in shelters under the tutelage of the State. Sources from the Public Ministry (MP) confirmed that it is a man, who is accused of the alleged rape of a 15-year-old adolescent. According to information published by La Prensa in August 2020, in June of that year the Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) sent 13 adolescents at risk to the center, despite the fact that it was a site to rehabilitate adults. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/17-ongoing-probes-into-shelters-abuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 11, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 11, 2021 Quote Devastating shelter reports from ombudsman and prosecutor Javier Caraballo Posted 10/03/2021 Reports delivered on Tuesday, March 9, by Attorney General Javier Caraballo and Ombudsman Eduardo Leblanc paint a grim picture of Panama’s government-supervised children’s shelters. Caraballo said that 18 investigations are underway for alleged abuses in shelters and inspections have been carried out in 57 of the centers and 20 children have been relocated. Five people have been charged Leblanc said that they made inspections in 44 shelters and found that 70% lack suitable personnel. “In these shelters there are children who reach the age of majority and the responsible authorities do not follow up on these cases, including the Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf).” The report states that shelter staff admits that there is little monitoring by Senniaf and that some of the buildings are in poor condition. Caraballo said that as part of the investigations carried out by the MP, prosecutors have interviewed at least 280 minors who remain in the 57 shelters. To date, five people have been charged with crimes ranging from embezzlement to rape and child abuse, although this figure could increase in the coming days. He acknowledged that, on occasions, judicial investigations do not proceed at the speed demanded by the community, but affirmed that they are working to clarify the facts and bring those responsible for the abuses to justice. Ombudsman, Leblanc, revealed that 70% of the 44 shelters inspected do not have suitable personnel to care for minors. Psychologists, health personnel, and social workers, among other professionals, are lacking, he said. Leblanc warned that there are minors who reach adulthood inside shelters without the competent authorities finding), a home for them, and said that among those authorities is Senniaf which does not follow up on the cases. Another of the anomalies reported is the little access to education for young people in the centers. Rape charge Meanwhile, a guarantee judge yesterday ordered the provisional detention of a man allegedly involved in the rape of a minor under 14 years of age, in a rehabilitation center for adults with drug addictions. located in Las Garzas de Pacora. The adolescent was taken to the home from a shelter under the supervision of Senniaf. Sources linked to the investigation said that this center provided assistance not only to men addicted to drugs, but also to women, including prostitutes. Among the evidence provided by the prosecution is the testimony of one of the managers of the rehabilitation center, in which he specified that minors were not welcomed in that place, but at the request of the Senniaf they received the aforementioned group. The victim is a 14-year-old indigenous youth who was orphaned at the age of 2 and has a certain degree of disability. According to the investigation, the victim was abused at least three times https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/devastating-shelter-reports-from-ombudsman-and-prosecutor-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 11, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 11, 2021 Quote Sex crimes unit arrests woman linked to shelters abuse Posted 10/03/2021 A woman arrested in the province of Coclé on Wednesday, March 10 is the sixth person related to the cases of abuse and irregularities in shelters to br apprehended, reported the Office of the Attorney General According to the entity, the woman was will be presented to a hearing for a sexual offense to the detriment of a minor. That arrest was ordered by the Sex Crimes Unit of the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office, together with the Judicial Investigation Directorate. Five people have already been arrested, three women and two men, who are allegedly involved in child abuse and embezzlement. On March 4, the Public Ministry made two arrests as part of the investigations for alleged irregularities in shelters guarded by the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and the Family.(Senniaf) From the investigations carried out in the shelters, 20 victims have been identified. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/sex-crimes-unit-arrests-woman-linked-to-shelters-abuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 11, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 11, 2021 Quote Raid on shelters HQ seeks links Posted 10/03/2021 The Family Section of the Public Ministry and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office carried out an ocular inspection process at the offices of the e National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf ), as part of the investigations into abuses in shelters. Anti-corruption prosecutor Aurelio Vásquez told La Prensa that he cannot provide information on the investigations, because they are currently in process and that it is a case in which minors are involved. "The only thing we can anticipate right now is that we are conducting inspection procedures at Senniaf and that some situations will eventually be verified regarding what may come out today," said Vásquez. While the proceedings were being conducted in Senniaf, the deputies of the Commission for Women, Children, Youth and the Family of the National Assembly met with the attorney general Javier Caraballo. The substitute deputy Walkiria Chandler said that the visit was "quite cosmetic" and that Caraballo could not specify the exact number of open cases, for the abuse of minors in shelters subsidized by Senniaf. Chandler indicated that they want the certainty of punishment and transform the reality of minors who are still in shelters. The commission gave Caraballo more than 400 pages of information gathered, which includes three new cases of abuse in shelters. The deputies reproached that the five accusations known so far are against "middle management" personnel, but that Caraballo guaranteed that he would investigate all equally. "We know that there are quite important or powerful people involved within the State", linked - according to Chandler - to religious congregations, political parties, the "economic power" or with family affiliation with the rulers. The deputies did not specify the names of those involved. Lawmaker Zulay Rodríguez said that when Eduardo Ulloa, prosecutor until March 2, wanted to lead Sara Rodríguez and Carla García (former director and former deputy director of Senniaf), “the father came, he got very angry, and he [Ulloa] resigned. He couldn't stand the pressure ” García's father - now the governor of the province of Panama - is the Vice Minister of the Presidency, Carlos García. Rodríguez also asked to summon the former Minister of Social Development, Markova Concepción, who currently holds a diplomatic post in the United States. This scandal is related to an investigation initiated ex officio by the Public Ministry in 2020, after the media - including La Prensa - reported the irregular transfer of minors to that center. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/raid-on-shelters-hq-seeks-links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 12, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 12, 2021 Quote Powerful child abusers must be held to account Posted 11/03/2021 As expected, cases of child abuse, mistreatment, and other aberrations against minors continue to add up in the Assembly, where a legislative subcommittee gathered evidence that unleashed the Senniaf scandal, accepting complaints published in the pages of this newspaper. Yesterday, deputies affirmed that there are names of figures of economic or political power and / or both, that have come to light, although everything indicates that the Public Ministry has begun to investigate from below. We trust that the Attorney in charge will support his staff as these names appear in the investigations. Otherwise, this institution will continue to lose credibility in the face of high-profile cases, something that the former Attorney General managed to do with success. We must not forget that our most vulnerable population is children and that, Taking advantage of this fragility, they were abused, even sexually, so there should be no room for half-hearted investigations or looking the other way or indulgence out of friendship or affinity. They are serious and unforgivable crimes, which have deserved the attention of the whole of society. We demand that - whoever the abusers are - the full weight of the law falls on them.- LA PRENSA, Mar. 11 https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/powerful-child-abusers-must-be-held-to-account Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 13, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 13, 2021 Quote Woman 23, charged in shelter sex-crime probe Posted 12/03/2021 A 23 -year-old woman, arrested in Coclé is in preventive detention charged with crimes against sexual freedom and integrity, in the form of libidinous acts, and corruption of a minor, at a children's shelter in Panama City, reports the Public Ministry (MP). At the Thursday hearing, the MP was represented by the circuit prosecutor, Yaritza Sánchez, who requested the guarantee judge, Adrián Hernández, the legalization of the arrest, the imputation of charges and the precautionary measure of provisional detention The Judicial Branch reported that this is related to events that occurred between March 10 to September 20, 2020, in a family home located in the Sex Crimes Section of the MP has six months to conclude the investigation of this case in which there are three other women and two men arrested, accused of child abuse and embezzlement. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/woman-23-charged-in-shelter-sex-crime-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 18, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted March 18, 2021 Quote Shelter abuse and embezzlement revelations Posted 17/03/2021 More details are emerging of the investigation of the Fundación Chilibre Panamá (Funchipa) –which ran a shelter in Tocumen and the part played by the former director of the center Xenia Medina,69, who was arrested on Saturday, March 6 and in preventive detention for the alleged commission of the crimes of embezzlement and abuse of minors. Sources consulted by La Prensa defined Medina as a woman "with ease of conviction to be supported in any project that she had in mind." She had no fixed address as she moved every two months but was located in San Felipe, and arrested on March 6 The investigations followed by the Public Ministry also reveal that it was she who "recruited" Xenia Moreno, the foundation's former legal adviser - which began operations in 2009 - and who is also detained as part of the process. The two are apparently connected by a family bond, according to sources. In this case, there is a third detainee, Itzel De La Cruz, who faces abuse charges. De La Cruz is pointed out by some of the victims as the person in charge of applying the "discipline." According to the minors, she locked them in a punishment cell known as “la comarca”, left them without food and even forced them to sleep on the floor for allegedly misbehaving. The investigation into alleged mismanagement of the subsidies assigned to the shelter by the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) is based on an audit carried out by it and covers at least $90,000 The Mides audit - which denounced the case in 2020 - detected that between April and November 2019 there were unbudgeted and unauthorized expenses. According to the document, invoices from the center were paid with the subsidy funds for up to $92,022. In addition, professional services not contemplated were invoiced to the company Ecsa Asesores Tributarios SA, for an amount of $18.000 Funchipa also had an allocation of $7,000 for the purchase of food, but the auditors found expired food. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/shelter-abuse-and-embezzlement-revelations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 3, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted April 3, 2021 Quote Feet dragging in shelter abuse probe Posted 02/04/2021 There are 20 ongoing Public Ministry investigations and six people in custody for abuses detected in shelters subsidized by the l Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) while President Cortizo has still not designated the person who will take over the hot potato after the abrupt departure of Mayra Inés Silvera, on March 4. The deputies of the National Assembly have also not agreed to set the date on which the Minister of Social Development, María Inés Castillo, and the former deputy director of the Senniaf Carla García - now - Panama Governor must attend the plenary session to render accounts for the management of the shelters. Until now, the public does not know the list of social organizations involved in the cases. There is also no clarity on those responsible for the events says LaPr ensa. With just a few days to go until two months have passed since since day February 9 that a legislative commission published a report that revealed abuses committed in shelters under the custody of the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) , The investigations carried out by the Public Ministry for these cases are progressing slowly and the public still does not know which centers are involved. On February 15, the plenary session of the National Assembly approved to summon the Minister of Social Development, María Inés Castillo; to the then director of Senniaf, Mayra Inés Silvera, and to the former deputy director of the latter entity, Carla García (today the governor of Panama). The purpose is for them to give explanations of the actions they took to protect the rights of the child. The deputies have not dated this summons. Sources linked to the investigations explained that all the victims were placed in new social centers, as a protection measure. According to what has been reported, they are being treated by psychologists, since some have presented affectations. A 23-year-old man is also being detained, accused of the crimes of rape and libidinous acts to the detriment of a 14-year-old who was a refugee in the Vida Libre rehabilitation center for adults, located in Pacora. Another man remains in prison for his alleged connection with mistreatment and abuse of children and adolescents in a shelter located in Ponuga, Santiago, in the province of Veraguas. In this case there are two other people charged, but not detained: they are prevented from leaving the country. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/feet-dragging-in-shelter-abuse-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted April 6, 2021 Quote Shelters case ‘fading’ Posted 05/04/2021 Walkiria Chandler, one of the three deputies who prepared the report on abuses in state-subsidized shelters, has warned that the case is "fading," without those responsible having been punished. It is not the first time that Chandler has expressed this concern reports La Prensa Three weeks ago, after a visit to Attorney General Javier Caraballo, she said that "people who are quite important or powerful within the government have not been arrested." Meanwhile, the youthful activists who for weeks gathered daily in front of the Senniaf headquarters or on Avenida Balboa are seeking another cause. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/shelters-case-fading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 7, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted April 7, 2021 Quote Protests against child shelter abuse resume Posted 06/04/2021 Protesters against abuse in children’s shelters subsidized and monitored by the Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) returned to the headquarters of the body in Panama City on Monday, April 5, while similar demonstrations were held across the country.. Part of Avenida Balboa was closed d inuring the protest in which posters read: Who will give them back their childhood? Justice for children; Senniafrespond; Stop supporting the usual corrupt, among others. a spokesman for “Out the Net” a citizen group, said that they are still waiting for a response from members of the Senniaf board of directors to whom they sent a request for action on the situation in the shelter signed by more than 600 people and 15 organizations, but they have not received any answer. He regretted that minors are still vulnerable in places where they were abused or mistreated and living with their aggressors. There were also protests in David, Chiriquí; Chitré, Herrera province and in Las Tablas, Los Santos. there are 20 open processes in the Public Ministry (MP) and six people detained in cases of abuse in the shelters, which were made known in February, but no big fish have been named. President Laurentino Cortizo has yet to designate the person who will occupy the position of director of Senniaf, which has been vacant since March 4, when Mayra Inés Silvera was forced to leave the post. Her deputy, Carla Garcia was named Governor of Panama. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/protests-against-child-shelter-abuse-resume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 8, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted April 8, 2021 Quote Four shelter cases opened by Family Prosecutor Posted 07/04/2021 Four processes were initiated by the Family Prosecutor's Office after the inspection of 57 shelters in the country, which 500 interviews were conducted with minors by the Victims and Witnesses Protection Unit of the Public Ministry Family Prosecutor, Aurelio Vásquez, said that in one of these cases the existence of a minor who was not brought to clinical care in a timely manner has been verified, "that is a negligent treatment that has a typology of crime ”. In addition, Vásquez explained that two other cases have been due to situations of children who indicated that they have been touched and those shelters where some children could have said that due to their behavior they were repressed through blows. "If we talk about the family prosecutor's office in these investigations of the 57 shelters, right now we are in an informal phase, that is, we do not have accused persons, but they have the quality of being indicted for the crime of child abuse," said prosecutor Vásquez. These four processes to which the prosecutor Vásquez refers are apart from other investigations that the Public Ministry is carrying out for other complaints linked to the shelters. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/four-shelter-cases-opened-by-family-prosecutor-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 6, 2021 Quote Man charged in shelters case got new government job Posted 05/05/2021 A Judge of Guarantees imputed charges for the alleged mistreatment of minors and imposed precautionary measures to prevent Michael Olson from leaving the country. The case dates from the middle of last year and is related to the transfer of minors to the Vida Libre Refuge, located in Las Garzas de Pacora, which cares for adults with drug addictions, one of whom sexually abused an adolescent . Olson, 29, was arrested by agents of the National Police on Monday morning at his residence in Villa Lucre, when he was preparing to go to work in the Government of Panama, in charge of Carla García, who was deputy director of the Senniaf until February 8. She is now Governor of Panama. The Superior Family Prosecutor's Office - headed by prosecutor Aurelio Vásquez - requested provisional arrest on the grounds that Olson, in his capacity as legal coordinator of the Senniaf, knew of the irregularities under investigation and could represent a risk to the process by having access to documents related to the case. However, the defendant's public defense refuted these arguments and specified that he resigned from Senniaf seven months ago, so he does not represent a risk to the process. The lawyer was the one who revealed that Olson works in the Government of Panama and, according to the transparency node of the Presidency, he does it as coordinator of plans and programs, and earns $ 2,800 a month The public defender also rejected the prosecution's arguments that Olson was aware of previous reports of irregularities at the shelter. When the participation of the parties ended, the judge rejected the prosecution's request to impose a precautionary measure of provisional detention on the accused and, instead, imposed precautionary measures to prevent him from leaving the country and to notify him on Friday of each week. At the end of the hearings, the prosecutor Vásquez explained that Olson is being investigated for having full knowledge of what was happening in the shelters, especially everything related to the availability of placing minors inside the shelter for adults. The prosecutor detailed that the crime charged, child abuse, can be committed by causing, allowing or even applying negligent treatment. “In this case, what is being discussed is the presence of minors in centers that did not necessarily receive children and adolescents. That is to say, the act of putting minors at risk, who at the time were sheltered in those places for a long time [...] That was not part of the functions that, Olson as guarantor of the Senniaf, had to perform. That is the crime for which he is being charged, ”said Vásquez. Due to the abuses to which one of the minors transferred to the shelter in Pacora was subjected, a Court of Guarantees issued provisional detention to a 23-year-old man in March. His is one of the 18 processes followed by the Public Ministry for abuses committed against children and adolescents in shelters that were under the supervision of Senniaf. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/man-charged-in-shelters-case-got-new-government-job-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 6, 2021 Quote Senniaf social worker charged with mistreatment Posted 05/05/2021 A former social worker of the Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) became the second person this week to have a guarantee judge accept, on Wednesday, May 5, a request for the imputation of charges for alleged mistreatment of children and teens, in government-supervised shelters. In addition, as a precautionary measure, the social worker will have to report on the 15th and 30th of each month and is prevented from leaving the country. She was separated from her position and is prohibited from approaching the offices of Senniaf. The Family Section of the Metropolitan area requested preventive detention at that hearing but was unable to do so. The social worker was detained by the authorities because she allegedly allowed minors to enter a rehabilitation center for adults. It was the same charge as that faced by Michael Olson who was re-assigned to a government job (see "man charged in shelters case") https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/senniaf-social-worker-charged-with-mistreatment-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted June 22, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted June 22, 2021 Quote The failure of youth protection Protestors against child abuse at government supervized shelters Posted 21/06/2021 The national government has outstanding debts with the youth of this country. Young people lack an education in line with the new century - an aspiration so old that the years without fulfilling it are counted in decades - and which is the worst of all the inheritances that the youth can receive from our politicians. It seems that, deliberately, they aspire to let ignorance reign, rather than a prepared population. In health, there is no progress for our young people, and less in personal safety. The scandals of the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and the Family (Senniaf) attest to the little importance that the rulers give to the youth. And now we see with great pain, how the security forces - without exception - fail to provide protection. The Security Council, the National Police and other intelligence entities have failed to provide citizen security. That is why hundreds of young people are recruited by gangs and gangs, and in other cases, we see children and young people fall victim to the crossfire in clashes between these criminal groups. All this screams in our faces the disdain with which the future of our country is treated. It really is a shame! LA PRENSA, Jun. 21. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/the-failure-of-youth-protection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted August 26, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted August 26, 2021 Quote New cases of child abuse in State shelters Emely García Miró Posted 24/08/2021 A report with three new anonymous complaints about abuse of minors in shelters in the country was presented Tuesday, August 24 to the Commission for Women, Children, Youth and the Family of the National Assembly by Deputy Emely García Miró. "We are talking about serious crimes, if they are true, such as rape, abuse of minors with disabilities, systematic psychological violence," said Deputy Emely García Miró, who “These cases have occurred in the Tocumen area and have spread to other regions of the country,” she added. As a result, the Ministry of Social Development reported that it filed a criminal complaint with the Public Ministry (MP) for alleged cases of violence and abuse against girls, boys and adolescents living in shelters, derived from the report presented by the legislative commission and following up on the complaints previously filed by the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family ( Senniaf ). According to Deputy Harding, vice president of the Commission, the events would have occurred this year, specifically after April. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/new-cases-of-child-abuse-in-state-shelters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted August 26, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted August 26, 2021 Quote Stalled action over child abuse Posted 25/08/2021 The lack of thoroughness, negligence and total lack of empathy in the case of abuses committed against children and adolescents in shelters under the tutelage of the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) is something that escapes all understanding. That at this point - when more than half a year has passed since the first cases were discovered - the Ministry of Social Development goes to the Public Ministry to file a criminal complaint, is simply unheard of. How is it possible to be so careless with an issue that has produced horror in Panamanian society? The first who has had to demand a thorough and in-depth investigation to find those responsible for these abuses is the President of the Republic, but he has done little or nothing in that direction. Since January nothing has changed to the point that now there are new reports of abuse. What is shameful is that the Senniaf announced last February - in a statement - that it "reaffirms its commitment to guaranteeing the well-being" of children and described as "events of the past" what the victims of abuse have experienced. But, as we can see, everything remained the same. The incompetence and laziness of this government is unparalleled. – LA PRENSA. Aug. 25. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/stalled-action-over-child-abuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted August 27, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted August 27, 2021 Quote Child shelter report details, suicide attempt, hospital rape Posted 26/08/2021 A report presented by the deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) Emelie García Miró to the Commission for Women, Children, Children and the Family of the National Assembly, detailed the case of an adolescent who was in a shelter who had been the victim of rape while she was admitted to the Nicolás A. Solano hospital, after a suicide attempt. Key witnesses in the state shelters scandals subpoenaed by the committee did not appear The director of the hospital, Yamilka Abad, told La Prensa that they are moving forward with the necessary steps to obtain the minor's data and initiate an internal investigation. "We receive patients from all over," said Abad, adding that in this particular case, they are "up in the air." She stated that they have not had contact with any prosecutor's office or authority in this regard. However, on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) and the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family (Senniaf) they assure that the two cases detailed in the report presented by García Miró were already in the hands of the Public Ministry as part of the investigations carried out regarding the management of shelters. Through a statement, the Senniaf detailed that between May and July of this year eight complaints have been filed "by the current administration." Last March, Graciela Mauad was appointed director of Senniaf after the scandal of abuse of minors in different shelters was uncovered. No-shows Senniaf's statement also said that Mauad did not go to the commission on Tuesday because she was dealing with migrant children. Mauad, like Panama Governor Carla García, and former deputy director of Senniaf; Sara Rodríguez, former director of the entity; Markova Concepción, former Minister of Social Development; and Michael Olson, a former Senniaf official, were summoned to appear before the commission to answer a 21-question questionnaire, but they did not go. The meeting was rescheduled for September 21. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/child-shelter-report-details-suicide-attempt-hospital-rape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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