Hawai'i law requires professionals with regular contact with children, including doctors, nurses, teachers and therapists, to report suspected cases of child abuse. But family members, neighbors — even parents — aren't required to contact the authorities.

"We'd like to think family members would report it," said Derick Dahilig, spokesman for the state Department of Human Services. "But family members do not fall into the actual statute."

Some say the recent case of a 12-year-old girl found emaciated in a Kina'u Street apartment could spur changes to the law.

Aileen Deese, program director for Prevent Child Abuse Hawai'i, said the topic will no doubt be debated by child-welfare experts in coming months.

But she advised against rushing to any changes. The law in place works in most instances, she said. In the case of the starving 12-year-old, it didn't because she apparently had no contact with the outside world — no school, no doctor's checkups.

"This is an extreme case, an isolated case," Deese said.

The girl, who weighed only 50 pounds, was found in January by paramedics after her parents called 911 and said she would not eat. Other relatives who were aware of her situation said they had tried to help but had not alerted authorities.

Deese said toughening the law to mandate more people — such as relatives — to report any suspected child abuse probably wouldn't prevent many cases and might even backfire, spurring a flood of calls and overwhelming the state.

Still, she said, anyone who suspects child abuse should call the state hot line.

The calls can be made anonymously, and they will be investigated.

State Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, chairwoman of the Human Services Committee, said there needs to be more research done before any changes to the reporting law are made.

"I would support a public forum to take up the issue," said Chun Oakland, D-13th (Kalihi, Nu'uanu).

She said relatives weren't added to the law because there was probably an assumption they would report child abuse out of concern for the victim.

In most states, mandated reporting laws are much like the one in Hawai'i.

But some have gone further. Rhode Island law, for example, says anyone who suspects a child is being abused is mandated to report the case to the state.

In 2005, the latest year for which state statistics are available, there were about 5,200 cases of reported child abuse and about 2,600 cases of confirmed abuse.

Of the confirmed cases, about 72 percent were reported by those required to alert the state when they suspect child abuse. Of the remaining 28 percent of cases in which people were not mandated to report, 7 percent were called in by relatives, 5 percent were called in anonymously and 4 percent were called in by a parent.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.