AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER Maine) — A series of reviews and investigations are getting underway into how the Department of Health Human Services handled reports that Marissa Kennedy was being abused months before she died.
The governor's office announced Friday afternoon that the Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel, an independent team of medical and law enforcement experts, will review the case and report it's findings to Gov. Paul LePage.
An internal DHHS investigation is already underway.
Investigators are reviewing records from Marissa's case, interviewing staff members that were involved to see if policies and procedures were followed.
Now the legislature's Government Oversight Committee is getting involved.
Lawmakers will conduct a full review of the Child Protective Services process within DHHS.
"Let's figure out what happened," said Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, the committee chair. "If someone is responsible for negligence, let's get to that and make sure that it doesn't happen again."
All of the findings and recommendations from the DHHS internal investigation and the review by the Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel will be reported to Gov. LePage for his review and possible action.