Pandemic sparks concerns about child abuse in Maine

Child abuse

Published
April 5, 2020

Pandemic sparks concerns about child abuse in Maine

Child abuse hotline calls have declined sharply since the coronavirus closed schools in the state, cutting at-risk children off from the people most likely to report problems.
Published
January 31, 2020

Child welfare watchdog finds progress but ongoing concerns for DHHS

Lawmakers were briefed Friday on a report that highlights successes and challenges 2 years after 2 high-profile abuse deaths put a spotlight on the agency's child welfare programs.
Published
January 26, 2020

State’s rush to judgment almost took this boy from his family

Jaxen Steimlosk, 4, of North Yarmouth has lived with serious health problems for most of his life. But officials accused his mother of medical child abuse and tried to assume custody.
Published
December 18, 2019

Jury finds Sharon Carrillo guilty of murder in death of 10-year-old daughter

Prosecutors say they will seek a life sentence for the 35-year-old mother in the February 2018 death of Marissa Kennedy, who had been abused for months.
Published
December 17, 2019

Fate of mother charged with murder rests with jury after attorneys make closing arguments

While Sharon Carrillo's attorneys contend she falsely confessed to beating her 10-year-old daughter, prosecutors say she's guilty of participating in or facilitating the abuse that eventually killed Marissa Kennedy.

Published
December 16, 2019

Defense in mother’s murder trial depicts her as victim of violent, controlling husband

Sharon Carrillo is charged with causing the death of her 10-year-old daughter by participating in months of beatings with her husband, Julio Carrillo, who pleaded guilty to murder.
Published
December 13, 2019

Mother describes woman charged with murder as a ‘child in a woman’s body’

Sharon Carrillo's parents testify that her husband coerced her into telling police that she participated in the beatings that led to the death of her daughter, 10-year-old Marissa Kennedy.
Published
December 6, 2019

Punishments ‘got out of hand’ before 10-year-old girl died, prosecutor tells jurors

Sharon Carrillo, who is being tried on a murder charge in the death of Marissa Kennedy, participated in the killing to which her husband, Julio Carrillo, has pleaded guilty, prosecutors said in opening statements.
Published
December 2, 2019

Jury selection set to begin for mother charged with fatally abusing daughter

Sharon Carrillo's murder trial could start as early as Friday, as the judge hears motions on the display of graphic photos and the abuse Carrillo allegedly suffered at her husband's hands.
Published
October 1, 2019

Maine DHHS seeks to double number of new child protection caseworkers

A new report from the agency's Office of Child and Family Services recommends 33 additional caseworkers, on top of 33 already funded by the Legislature, to handle a growing volume of abuse and neglect reports.