In Panama, a former Ministry of Education employee threw caustic substance at a colleague, causing severe burns. Despite this, the victim received medical attention like any other citizen, which now forces a review of access and care procedures. This case adds to other serious incidents that keep the education system under scrutiny: investigations for sexual assault, sanctions against officials who tried to cover up complaints, and the detection of fake documents in appointment contests. The victim has injuries to her back, arms, face, scalp, and skull, and specialists are evaluating possible skin grafts, as the consequences could be permanent. The Ministry of Education (Meduca) stated: 'This cannot happen again.' With the aggressor behind bars, the focus is now on the institution. Meduca strongly condemned the attack and admitted that, based on this case, it is necessary to strengthen access controls and security for public service in regional directorates and administrative offices. Although protocols were active in the school where the aggressor previously worked, upon arriving at the regional office, she was not immediately identified as the same person who had made previous threats. The woman accused of throwing caustic substance at a Human Resources official is already detained with formal charges, while the victim fights to recover and the institution recognizes that security gaps must be closed now. The information was confirmed by Nilka González, national director of Legal Advisory of Meduca, who detailed that the former official faced a hearing, charges were filed for aggravated personal injuries, and a preventive detention order was issued. The attacked official, despite the burns, was able to attend the hearing, remains stable, but the medical outlook is not simple. What came after the horror is what now sets the tone at the Ministry of Education (Meduca). That void ended in tragedy.
