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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chelsea Valiente, left, talks to reporters along with her husband Rey Valiente, center, and state Sen. Will Espero, right, at the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu. The Valientes’ son was seriously injured while attending a home day care and they are asking state Attorney General Doug Chin to investigate the case.
A couple whose child was seriously injured while attending a home day care is asking state Attorney General Doug Chin to investigate the case, saying the initial investigation by the Honolulu Police Department was poorly done.
Chelsea Valiente told reporters at the state Capitol today there’s no question her son Peyton was abused at day care and the family wants justice.
“This should be continued so that we not only have closure, but justice for an innocent child that was so severely harmed, that was defenseless and unable to speak for themselves,” Chelsea Valiente said.
Peyton Valiente was 17 months old when he suffered a brain injury from forceful shaking. The Valientes believe the baby sitter’s police connection is the reason there have been no arrests two years after Peyton’s injury.
Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu said today that police turned the case over to the state attorney general.
Acting HPD Chief Cary Okimoto apologized to the Valientes in March, saying he was disappointed the case didn’t move as quickly as it should have. He had ordered an administrative investigation and said detectives were receiving additional training for child abuse cases.
“A little boy was assaulted the assailant has not been brought to justice,” said state Sen. Will Espero, who joined the family urging Chin to investigate the case. “The assailant is still out there, and we don’t know whether that individual might be in interaction with other children.”
Chin’s spokesman Josh Wisch confirmed his office has the case but he said he could not comment further.
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