Russia forwards note to US over Russian boy’s death

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian diplomats have handed over a note to the U.S. Department of State in connection with the death of Ivan Skorobogatov, seven years old, a Russian national, a representative of the press service of the Russian embassy in Washington told Itar-Tass.

“During contacts between Russian diplomats and officials of the U.S. Department of State a note was handed to the American officials, which expressed indignation over the violation by the United States of the bilateral consular convention and the norms of interstate relations,” the press service official said. He stressed that “the U.S. did not inform Russia of the death of the Russian national, which took place in August 2009.”

“The Russian diplomats demanded an account of the circumstances of the death of Ivan Skorobogatov and of the criminal case of his foster parents – Michael and Nannette Craver. The diplomats are going to attend court sessions on their case in Pennsylvania and will keep under control the observance of the interests of Darya Skorobogatova, the sister of the deceased,” the Russian official continued.

He stressed that “the case again raised the question of the need for signing a special Russian-American agreement on the adoption of children.” Aside from it, the incident is reason enough to consider whether or not “Russia should allow the adoption of Russian children by people from the country, which has not ratified the basic U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.” Aside from the United States, Somalia is the only country that did not sign the Convention.

Vanya Skorobogatov and his twin sister Darya, born in Chelyabinsk, were adopted in 2003 by Michael and Nannette Craver, from the U.S. Together with a new family they were given new names. Ivan was given the name of Nathaniel Michael Craver.

According to the indictment, the boy died on August 25, 2009, in a local hospital as a result of complications, brought about by a scull injury. The foster parent said that on August 19 he had fallen and had hit a stove with his head. On the next morning, according to their information, they had found the boy lying motionless in his bed and had taken him to hospital. The doctors had realised at once that the boy had been dying and had connected him to the life-support equipment.

A medical check-up conducted later revealed that there were some 80 bruises on the boy’s body on different stages of healing, including 20 on his head. The doctors found as well old injuries of internal organs and haematomas. In addition to all that, the boy showed signs of extreme famishing, which specialists could describe as incompatible with the will to live.

Preliminary hearings on the Craver case are scheduled for March 31. According to the U.S. authorities, Dasha Skorobogatova, Vanya’s sister, is in a safe place.