In Panama, an Appeals Court overturned a 16-year prison sentence in a rape case, despite experts finding the accused to be impotent. A wave of relief and celebration swept through the Moncada Abogados firm following the decision. Lead defense attorney José Antonio Moncada hailed the ruling as «a vindication of law and reason over injustice and a twisted interpretation of the law.» He congratulated his legal team on their persistent and technical work, which demonstrated the implausibility of the original conviction. «It's hard to imagine a jury could convict a man who is impotent of rape. It's an error that not only harms the individual but also the credibility of the system,» he highlighted. He stated his policy is to never give up when it comes to dismantling acts that do not align with the truth or a proper evaluation of the evidence. The precedent-setting ruling explicitly cites the principle of *in dubio pro reo* (in doubt, for the accused), noting that «the existence of a reasonable doubt about the accused's physical capacity must be very well explained for a conviction to be pronounced, which did not happen, highlighting a valuation error.» Visibly emotional, the mother of the acquitted young man said through tears: «If it weren't for the will to seek truth in the second instance, my son would have died unjustly in prison».
