Child rights advocates ask why state left slain 5-year-old Kansas girl in a clearly unstable home

Published October 15, 2023 7:07 AM

By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Zoey Felix was raped and killed earlier this month in Topeka, Kansas. She was just 5 years old. For years, worried neighbors say they tried to help after seeing her wandering, dirty and hungry. Police were called to her home dozens of times. Teachers raised alarms when she missed preschool. Both parents alleged abuse. Zoey’s mom was jailed for a drunken car crash with Zoey in the front seat. State welfare officials were notified. Public anger over Zoey’s death has focused on her parents. But police and Kansas’ embattled Department for Children and Families are facing questions about why the girl was left to live in an unstable, dangerous environment for years.

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