County mum on details of girl’s death

David Kihara

Tuesday, April 11, 2006 | 7:22 a.m.

Despite a judge's order making child death records more open, county officials have released little information on a 6-month-old girl who was recently found dead.

County officials said they cannot release detailed information on the victim, who died April 2, because Child Protective Services workers never opened a case on her. Instead, they were investigating abuse allegations against one or more of her siblings.

"Because there were no referrals for this child, we can't discuss any previous referrals regarding other people," said Michael Kahn, spokesman for the Clark County Family Services Department.

Child advocates criticized the decision not to release more information.

"It seems to me they are going to continue to hide behind the shrouds of the dead children they are responsible for protecting," said William Grimm, senior attorney with the National Center for Youth Law in California and a frequent critic of Nevada's child welfare system.

Police are investigating the child's death. The child was found face down on the floor inside her grandmother's apartment. Investigators are still waiting on a toxicology report.

Law enforcement and social service sources previously confirmed that Child Protective Services workers investigated the family because the father allegedly hit another child in the family.

Sources also stated that Child Protective Services in November took a report of domestic violence in the child's home, but it wasn't clear if child welfare workers provided any follow-up assistance.

In the first public comments on the case by the county, Kahn said child welfare workers had previously intervened in the family but couldn't provide further details because of confidentiality laws, he said.

Last week District Judge Douglas Herndon ruled that more information on child deaths or near deaths should be released. That information included whether the county made referrals or offered any other services for the child.

But Kahn said the county couldn't release that information in this case because the child was never the focus of a Child Protective Services investigation.

"The services offered were not on behalf of this child. Therefore, information regarding the nature of services is not available to the public," Kahn said.

Grimm, however, contended that information released still falls short of what is allowed by the federal government.

"What this really indicates is the level of insincerity and deceit on the part of the county," Grimm said. "If they wanted to protect the children, this would be open to debate."