BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — Kansas’ child welfare agency balked at releasing its records about a 3-year-old girl whose battered body was found this month, despite a 2018 law that aimed to make such documents more transparent.
That law says Kansas Department for Children and Families’ documents are public records in the event child abuse or neglect results in a child fatality or near fatality. However, the agency has declined to release to The Associated Press records pertaining to Olivia Ann Jansen, saying it’s still investigating. The girl’s remains were found in a shallow grave on July 10.
Her dad and his girlfriend are charged with murder.