Malnourished girl, 11, placed in foster care
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
The state has taken foster custody of an 11-year-old girl who was found severely malnourished at her family's Makiki apartment Sunday, while police and state investigators look into the circumstances surrounding her condition.
Honolulu police have opened a first-degree assault investigation but neither of the girl's parents, both 33 years old, have been arrested. Attempts to reach the couple were unsuccessful yesterday.
Police and investigators with the state Department of Human Services were trying to determine whether the girl suffers from an eating disorder or is a victim of abuse and neglect.
The state has three business days to complete its investigation and decide whether to forward their findings to police and take permanent custody of the girl or to return the girl to her parents.
The girl will be looked at by doctors and psychologists as part of the investigation.
"We are investigating, but we are not going to discuss the findings. We don't disclose what the discussion is about or what we found (in accordance with state law)," said Derick Dahilig, spokesman for DHS. "Our main concern is the health and safety of the girl, and that's the main reason we took foster custody of her."
Police have interviewed the girl's parents.
According to the city division of Emergency Medical Services, personnel responded to a call Sunday at 1:46 p.m. to an apartment at 809 Kina'u St. An 11-year-old girl was taken to the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children in critical condition.
Police did not release any further information about the case yesterday; calls to a police spokesperson were not immediately returned.
In 2000, the girl's parents were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, according to police and court records. The girl's mother pleaded guilty, and the father pleaded no contest.
The offense is a petty misdemeanor, and both received deferred judgments and the offense was removed from their records after they completed a year of probation.
Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
