Russian Adoption Boy’s Death: Ruled As Accidental But Called a "Murder," A Blow to US-Russian Relations

Officials in West Texas said last Monday they were investigating the "suspicious" death of a 3-year-old boy, who was adopted from Russia. A Russian official blamed the death on "inhuman abuse," He was born on January 9, 2010, and died on January 21, 2013, according to Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's special representative for human rights. "I would like to draw your attention to another case of inhuman abuse of a Russian child by U.S. adoptive parents," he said in a statement.

 The boy's death drew international attention after a Russian government child advocate said that the boy was "killed" or "murdered."   The Ector County medical examiner determined the cause of death, which they attributed to a laceration of a small bowel mesentery artery due to blunt trauma to the abdominal area. The bruising was consistent with a self-inflicted injury, according to CNN. 

A statement from the Ector County Sheriff's Office said that the boy "had previously been seen for a behavioral disorder that manifested itself in self-injury and these bruises were consistent with that diagnosis." Toxicology reported were negative and there were no substances found that could have contributed to the child's death. The sheriff's office said it and other agencies would continue their investigation into the case. The boy's death drew international attention after a Russian government child advocate said that the boy was "killed" or "murdered." The Children's Rights Commissioner Pel Astakhov said reported these words based on the initial reports he received about her death. He acknowledged he may have spoken too soon.

He wants his children to ban all international adoptions of Russian children. The boy was just one year old, and his death has aggravated the U.S. State Department efforts to push through more than 500 adoption cases in which American families have begun the process to adopt a Russian child before Moscow in December passing a law banning the adoptions of Russian children by Americans.

Tags

Russian Adoption, Foreign Policy, Moscow

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