President José Raúl Mulino stated that the murderer, even if a minor, must be judged to the full extent of the law. Mulino assured that the country cannot continue to look the other way while organized crime uses young people to commit serious crimes. He recalled that Panama has already had this debate when, as a minister, he pushed to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 14, a decision that was harshly criticized at the time. «That is not a mistake, that is being a murderer,» affirmed the president. The statements were made in the context of the homicide of a National Police officer, an event he described as a premeditated and treacherous act, for which he demanded exemplary penalties for both the adults and the minors involved. The president confirmed that he has already spoken with the police director and that prosecutors are requesting severe sanctions. Furthermore, he made it clear that if it is necessary to review the minor's law, the Government will do so, although he insisted that the main problem is not the law, but its application. «Today, he said, the reality shows that many minors know perfectly well what they are doing. «A 14-year-old boy knows what it is to take out a weapon and shoot a person eight times.»
