Koller released a 23-page sampling of the files on April 30. At the time, she said, "We need to get justice in this case for the child."

The files will be released on the Internet, said Derick Dahilig, department spokes-

man. Workers have been busy redacting the names of Peter Boy's siblings, foster parents, some court-appointed officials and all Human Services employees, past and present, he said.

Although the files are being opened, some confidentiality laws still prevent the department from full disclosure, he said.

To ensure privacy, the attorney general must review all the files before they can be released.

"At this juncture, we are encouraged that we can release the records by the end of this month," Dahilig said yesterday.

Peter Boy disappeared in the summer of 1997 under mysterious circumstances.

The child's parents — Peter Kema Sr. and Jaylin Kema of Hilo — told police in January 1998 that he was given away to a family months earlier.

Peter Kema Sr. explained that he had taken the boy to O'ahu in August 1997 but gave him to a woman named Auntie Rose Makuakane because he was running out of money for food and he and the boy were living in a tent in 'A'ala Park.

Police have never confirmed that Auntie Rose exists and after investigating what happened as a missing person's case for two years, concluded it was a homicide in June 2000.

Releasing the confidential files became possible only after the department approved new administrative rules in December. Child welfare cases are governed by confidentiality laws and are discussed behind closed doors in Family Court.

Koller hopes the files will prompt someone to come forward with new information, Dahilig said.

"She wants to get these records out because maybe it can spark some new information somewhere that may be able to crack this case wide open," he said. "We don't know because we have never had the records released before."

The documents released last month left state Rep. Dennis Arakaki, D-30th (Moanalua, Kalihi Valley, 'Alewa), optimistic even if they have yet to affect the case.

He said those pages "verified what most of us suspected" — that red flags were raised regarding Peter Boy's safety.

"There were many, many opportunities to intervene and to actually take Peter Boy out of that situation," said Arakaki, who has requested the files be released every year since 1998. "If someone had been a little more attentive to the details, I think what we suspect was the final outcome could have been prevented."