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School reported abuse concerns prior to 10-year-old's murder

All school policies and laws about reporting abuse were followed regarding Marissa Kennedy, according to the Bangor school superintendent

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER Maine) – Signs of the abuse that police attribute to Marissa Kennedy's death did not go unnoticed at school.

The ten-year-old girl was dead when police answered a 911 call at her home in Stockton Springs on Sunday. Police said her body was severely bruised in several places. They arrested her mother, Sharon Carrillo, and stepfather, Julio Carrillo, on murder charges.

Bangor School Department Superintendent of Schools Betsy Webb in a statement released Thursday night confirmed that Marissa was a student at Fairmount School in Bangor during the 2016-17 academic year. She transferred to Searsport Elementary School after the family moved.

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Superintendent Webb said that while Marissa was a student in Bangor, department administrators and teachers "complied with all school policies and laws regarding the reporting of suspected abuse and neglect to the Maine Department of Health & Human Services."

"Therefore, on a number of occasions when our staff had a reason to report suspected abuse or neglect," Webb wrote, "staff made the necessary reports to DHHS, which is the state agency assigned the responsibility to investigate."

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Webb said department personnel also complied with policy and laws addressing absenteeism and truancy of students. Due to confidentiality restrictions, Webb said she's unable to share specific circumstances or actions taken by staff, but she's confident the school department acted "appropriately and always in the best interest of Marissa."

"This has been a difficult time for us," Webb said, "and supports are in place for those needing assistance."

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