Friday, April 16, 2010

Russian adoption return: U.S.-Russian adoption goes wrong

After only eight months of parenting the Russian boy that she adopted, American Torry Hansen tried to make a Russian adoption return. The Russian boy’s adoptive grandmother pinned a note to his clothes and put him on a one-way flight back to Russia. The family also paid a Russian man a $ 200 quick cash to complete the Russian adoption return by taking the boy from the airport to the Russian Education and Science Ministry.

Russian adoption return prompted by violent outbursts

The family claimed that they attempted the Russian adoption return because they were worried for their safety. One paragraph on the note they sent to Russia with the boy stated:

“This child is mentally unstable. He is violent and has severe psychopathic issues, I was lied to and misled by the Russian Orphanage workers and director regarding his mental stability and other issues. After giving my best to this child, I am sorry to say that for the safety of my family, friends, and myself, I no longer wish to parent this child.”

The Russian boy’s adoptive grandmother has said in several interviews that the boy would hit, kick, spit, bite and would draw pictures of the house on fire, threatening to burn down the home he lived in and kill the entire family. When a social worker visited the home in January, they did not report any issues.

Russian adoption return sparks international uproar

Around the world, many countries have expressed anger over the Russian adoption return. The Russian education ministry has suspended the license of The World Association for Kids and Parents, the agency that handled Artyom Savelyev’s Russian adoption. Russia is threatening to suspend all adoptions between the U.S. and Russia until a new treaty could be approved. There is no standard legal framework to prosecute the family that attempted the Russian adoption return. Some U.S. agencies are investigating the possibility of prosecuting the Russian adoption return family for child abandonment.

Watch the reporting on the Russian adoption return

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQr6-7ymZ5E

Placing Russian adoptions is difficult

According to UNICEF, there are more than 740,000 children in Russia that have no parental custody and Russian adoption is very difficult. Foreign parents are encouraged to adopt Russian kids, because so few parents within Russia are willing to adopt. Because the process is so expensive, many adoptive parents have to apply to a personal loan business for help. Russian officials have portrayed concern over U.S. adoptions, even before the Russian adoption return.

Resources

Associated Press

ABC News



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