2011 California Code
Penal Code
PART 4. PREVENTION OF CRIMES AND APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS [11006 - 14315]
ARTICLE 2.6. Child Death Review Teams
Section 11174.32

(a) Each county may establish an interagency child death review team to assist local agencies in identifying and reviewing suspicious child deaths and facilitating communication among persons who perform autopsies and the various persons and agencies involved in child abuse or neglect cases. Interagency child death review teams have been used successfully to ensure that incidents of child abuse or neglect are recognized and other siblings and nonoffending family members receive the appropriate services in cases where a child has expired.

(b) Each county may develop a protocol that may be used as a guideline by persons performing autopsies on children to assist coroners and other persons who perform autopsies in the identification of child abuse or neglect, in the determination of whether child abuse or neglect contributed to death or whether child abuse or neglect had occurred prior to but was not the actual cause of death, and in the proper written reporting procedures for child abuse or neglect, including the designation of the cause and mode of death.

(c) In developing an interagency child death review team and an autopsy protocol, each county, working in consultation with local members of the California State Coroner s Association and county child abuse prevention coordinating councils, may solicit suggestions and final comments from persons, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Experts in the field of forensic pathology.

(2) Pediatricians with expertise in child abuse.

(3) Coroners and medical examiners.

(4) Criminologists.

(5) District attorneys.

(6) Child protective services staff.

(7) Law enforcement personnel.

(8) Representatives of local agencies which are involved with child abuse or neglect reporting.

(9) County health department staff who deals with children s health issues.

(10) Local professional associations of persons described in paragraphs (1) to (9), inclusive.

(d) Records exempt from disclosure to third parties pursuant to state or federal law shall remain exempt from disclosure when they are in the possession of a child death review team.

(e) (1) No less than once each year, each child death review team shall make available to the public findings, conclusions and recommendations of the team, including aggregate statistical data on the incidences and causes of child deaths.

(2) In its report, the child death review team shall withhold the last name of the child that is subject to a review or the name of the deceased child s siblings unless the name has been publicly disclosed or is required to be disclosed by state law, federal law, or court order.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 813, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)