VOLCANIC ASH

By David Shapiro

It's a haunting image, the newspaper photo of a smiling Peter Boy Kema taken before the 6-year-old Big Island child went missing more than seven years ago.

That he could still manage such an engaging grin after a lifetime of abuse — ending with his disappearance under highly suspicious circumstances — testified to the resilience of youth.

Seeing that picture over and over all these years leaves an aching feeling that it's simply unacceptable that we still have no accounting for what happened to Peter Boy.

Peter Kema Sr., shown with his wife, Jaylin Kema, says he gave his son to an acquaintance in 'A'ala Park. Advertiser library photo • June 3, 2000

It's unacceptable that state child welfare officials and Big Island police continue to point fingers over who dropped the ball on Peter Boy, while hiding behind privacy laws and double talk about ongoing investigations to conceal information that might shed honest light on how this tragedy happened.

It's unacceptable that Big Island authorities, certain that Peter Boy is dead, have brought no charges against those they believe responsible five years after reclassifying him from a missing person to a homicide victim.

It's unacceptable that the Legislature has lamely rolled over to administrative stonewalling instead of using its considerable investigative powers to get to the bottom of how the system failed Peter Boy and what needs to be fixed to protect other children.

It's all typical of the lack of urgency that has stained this case.

Peter Boy's memory has mostly been kept alive by the persistence of Advertiser reporter Mike Gordon, who broke the story and stayed on it, and state Rep. Dennis Arakaki, who introduces a resolution each year seeking public release of Peter Boy's records.

The state Department of Human Services is finally talking about a partial release of information after it is cleared by the attorney general, but a limited disclosure is unlikely to answer the most critical questions.

What we do know is beyond disturbing.

We know that Peter Boy was subjected to serious abuse nearly from birth until at age 3 he was taken away from his parents, Peter Kema Sr. and Jaylin Kema, and placed in foster care.

We know that state child welfare officials made it a priority to reunite Peter Boy with his parents and then failed to monitor the situation for several years.

We know that in the absence of monitoring, relatives testified that Peter Boy suffered physical and emotional abuse, including a broken arm, denial of food, being handcuffed, forced to sleep outside and locked in the trunk of the family car.

We know that after he dropped from view in 1997, his parents waited eight months to file a missing-person's report, in which they claimed thatÊduring a trip to Honolulu, Peter Sr. gave his son to an acquaintance in 'A'ala Park whose existence has never been verified by police.

We know that crossed signals between child welfare officials and Big Island police likely cost precious time in protecting Peter Boy or bringing those who harmed him to justice.

The parents' alibi, along with the testimony of older siblings and concerned relatives, adds up to a prima facie case of abuse, abandonment, endangerment and neglect.

Such reckless disregard for this boy's safety cries out for accountability.

Big Island law enforcement authorities must redouble their efforts to hold accountable those responsible for hurting Peter Boy and causing his disappearance.

And the Legislature and general public must toughen up in demanding accountability from public agencies whose many missteps played such a big part in this tragedy.

You can't lose a 6-year-old child and skate away from it free and clear.

David Shapiro, a veteran Hawai'i journalist, can be reached by e-mail at dave@volcanicash.net.