{"id":1890,"date":"2026-06-27T04:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1890"},"modified":"2026-06-27T04:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:37:00","slug":"settlement-talks-set-for-state-family-of-peter-boy-kema-in-wrongful-death-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1890","title":{"rendered":"Settlement talks set for state, family of Peter Boy Kema in wrongful death case"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Eight years after filing a wrongful death lawsuit, the siblings of Peter Boy Kema are preparing for settlement talks with the state, though their attorney says the two sides remain far apart on what the Hawaii Island boy\u2019s life was worth.<\/p>\n

Read more UH Manoa student-athletes eager to compete on home turf in new athletic facility<\/a><\/p>\n

A settlement conference is scheduled for July 26. If talks fail, his siblings are prepared to go to trial in September, which would force them to relive the most painful details of his death.<\/p>\n

Peter Boy Kema, affectionately called Pepe by his family, was happiest in his grandparents\u2019 home in Kona. All the children were safe there. <\/p>\n

But in 1995, the state child protective services sent them back to their abusive parents, Jaylin and Peter Kema Sr., who tortured Pepe most of all.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

In 1997, child protective services received two separate warnings, official complaints that the 6-year-old had serious injuries and was in danger. Nothing was done. He disappeared.<\/p>\n

Nearly 20 years later, in 2016, the parents were charged and, a year later, admitted the boy was dead as a result of the abuse. <\/p>\n

The siblings filed the civil, wrongful death lawsuit in 2018.<\/p>\n

Chauntelle Acol, Peter Boy\u2019s oldest sister, is now 37 years old. She said the legal delays force them to relive the trauma of that time period.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just prolongs our ability to fully heal,\u201d she said. \u201cThose memories and those moments… seeing Pepe, you know, being hung from the rafters or being starved or hearing him, while we\u2019re sitting in the back of the car, him crying out for somebody to help save him. And you just feel powerless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m his older sister and I\u2019m supposed to be the one that helps him. And I spent a lot of time with him and witnessing a lot of abuse and that carries a lot of guilt, you know,\u201d Acol added.<\/p>\n

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Randall Rosenberg, the family\u2019s attorney, said the state has acknowledged its failures but the two sides disagree on compensation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know what they did wrong. It\u2019s taken a while to get them to admit it, but now they\u2019re admitting it,\u201d Rosenberg said. \u201cSo the question now is, what is it worth? And how can you take a position that this child\u2019s life is not worth much money after what was done to him?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Peter Boy\u2019s youngest sister, Lina Acol, said the prospect of trial is emotionally difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s triggering, and it\u2019s heartbreaking, and it\u2019s hard,\u201d the 33-year old said. \u201cIt\u2019s having to just speak about it when I really don\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peter Boy\u2019s two sisters now live in Florida. His brother, Allan Acol, 39, lives in Kona in their grandparents\u2019 home, where the children thrived before being returned to their parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have lots of memories of us just playing in here, playing in this house,\u201d Allan Acol said. \u201cWe\u2019d play hide and seek with all of us. And then we get to see Pepe run by, waddling. … It gives you very good memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement, the state attorney general\u2019s office said they could not speak on the case because it is active litigation.<\/p>\n

Read more Lanes closed on H-1 westbound after excavator hits Aala Street overpass<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If talks fail, his siblings are prepared to go to trial in September, which would force them to relive the most painful details of his death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSettlement talks set for state, family of Peter Boy Kema in wrongful death case - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1890\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Settlement talks set for state, family of Peter Boy Kema in wrongful death case - 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