The law that makes the official list of sexual offenders public has come into force in Panama with its promulgation by the country's president, José Raúl Mulino, and its publication in the official gazette, an official source reported on Tuesday. This is Law 501 of November 24, 2025, which amends Law 244 of 2021, which created the National System for the Registration of Sexual Offenders. With the amendment, the National System for the Registration of Sexual Offenders will be under the charge of the Cabinet of Archives and Personal Identification of the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ), and its information 'will be public access' in order to 'exercise situational crime prevention, as well as for the issuance of certificates of non-sexual offender', as established in Articles 1 and 13 of Law 501. 'The information provided by the Cabinet of Archives and Personal Identification of the DIJ under the terms provided for in this Law will only be used by the corresponding justice operators and for the purposes aimed at situational crime prevention', specifies Article 15 of the same standard. Under the new law, the National Official Registry of Sexual Offenders 'will contain detailed information about adults who have been convicted or are serving sentences by a duly executed sentence for crimes against sexual freedom and sexual integrity in its various forms, trafficking in minors and trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation'. This new law was approved by the National Assembly (AN, Parliament) on October 2 of this year with 42 of the 71 possible votes. With the new rule, public scrutiny of the list, which until now was private and only for consultation by judicial authorities, 'to shield society, people and communities, from who their neighbor is or who is hired for family support', indicated the National Assembly in a press release at the time. 'The legislative initiative, proposed by Deputy Paulette Thomas, in summary, improves the prevention of sexual crimes, as well as empowers families and communities with public access information through the internet', added the official letter. The Parliament pointed out last October that recent official statistics reveal that in 2025, 'more than 3,300 complaints about sexual assaults had been received, which shows 16 complaints daily'.
Law Making Public List of Sexual Offenders Takes Effect in Panama
A new law has gone into effect in Panama, making the official registry of sexual offenders public. The law mandates the publication of this information to prevent crime and empower communities with knowledge about potential threats in their area.
