Panama bids farewell to assistant prosecutor Patricia Soledad Ossa

Family, friends, and colleagues from the Public Ministry gathered on Saturday, May 23, in Divalá, Chiriquí province, to honor the life of assistant prosecutor Patricia Soledad Ossa at her funeral service held at the San Juan Bautista Catholic Church.

Julio Vergara, the first superior prosecutor of Chiriquí, expressed deep sorrow, stating, "We deeply regret this situation. We are here accompanying a colleague and supporting her family in this painful moment." During the homily, Father Gabriel Aguilar urged attendees to reflect on the increasing acts of violence in the country, emphasizing the critical need to reinforce family values and promote peaceful coexistence.

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We deeply regret this situation. We are here accompanying a colleague and supporting her family in this painful moment.

"It is undeniable that we are witnessing escalating acts of violence every day, and that also sends us a clear message: day by day, values and respect for life and dignity are being lost. Violence is not overcome with more violence, but through forgiveness, mercy, and peace; that is the message Jesus Christ gives us," the parish priest of San Juan Bautista de Divalá declared.

Following the mass, Ossa's body was transported to the municipal cemetery of Divalá for burial. The alleged perpetrator of the femicide, identified as her partner, appeared before the Accusatory Criminal System on Wednesday, May 20, for a hearing that included charges and the imposition of provisional detention measures. Patricia Soledad Ossa passed away on the night of May 18 after sustaining a gunshot wound, reportedly inflicted by her partner, in an incident in Pueblo Nuevo. She was rushed to Hospital Santa Fe in critical condition, where her death was later confirmed. Her colleagues from the Public Ministry in the capital also held a memorial mass for her at the Basílica Menor Don Bosco.

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It is undeniable that we are witnessing escalating acts of violence every day, and that also sends us a clear message: day by day, values and respect for life and dignity are being lost. Violence is not overcome with more violence, but through forgiveness, mercy, and peace; that is the message Jesus Christ gives us.