Report: LePage blasts DHHS, others over ‘comedy of errors’ after child deaths

6 years ago

Gov. Paul LePage blasted the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and others Wednesday for a “comedy of errors” that preceded the death of a 10-year-old girl allegedly tortured and killed by her parents in Stockton Springs last month.

The Republican governor’s interview with WCSH is the most detailed response to date from any state official regarding the case of Marissa Kennedy, though the LePage administration has said that multiple internal reviews of the caseare underway.

DHHS Commissioner Ricker Hamilton told WCSH on Wednesday that he can’t comment on the case because of confidentiality statutes.

However, LePage told WCSH that DHHS was involved with Kennedy’s family and the family of 4-year-old Kendall Chick of Wiscasset before their deaths. Shawna Gatto, the fiancee of Chick’s grandfather, has been charged with murder in the Wiscasset case. Kennedy’s mother, Sharon Carrillo, and her stepfather, Julio Carrillo, are also charged with murder.

LePage blamed Kennedy’s death on DHHS, entities that are required to report suspected child abuse such as schools, and law enforcement agencies.

The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Report: LePage blasts DHHS, others over ‘comedy of errors’ after child deaths,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Michael Shepherd, please follow this link to the BDN online.