The National Secretariat for Childhood, Adolescence, and Family (Senniaf) assured that there are currently no cases of 8 and 9-year-old pregnant girls in the shelters under its administration, according to an official note dated March 18, 2026. The entity responded to an information request that sought details on possible pregnancies of minors within protection centers. After verifications in facilities located in Tocumen and La Chorrera, the institution stated that it does not have and has not recently had cases in that age range or in similar age groups. However, the document introduces an element that reopens the debate. Senniaf acknowledges that there was indeed a case in December 2021 of an 8-year-old girl who was pregnant and was under the care of this institution by order of the Second Court of Childhood and Adolescence of the First Judicial Circuit of Panama. According to official information, the girl entered the Hogar María Guadalupe with approximately five months of gestation. Subsequently, after the birth of her baby, she was transferred along with the newborn to the Hogar San José de Malambo. Later, both were reinstated to their family environment, currently residing with an aunt in the province of West Panama. The document also states that memorandums from the Comprehensive Care Centers (CAI) and the Department of Abuse and Violence were attached as support for the information provided. Although the institution attempts to close ranks by stating there are no current cases, the admission of this extreme precedent once again places the minor protection system under the microscope, especially regarding prevention, monitoring, and response to situations of abuse within or outside institutional environments.
