A commentary of the official representative of the MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of Russia A.K.Lukashevich in connection to

A commentary of the official representative of the MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of Russia A.K.Lukashevich in connection to abuse of a Russian adopted child in the USA

1451-26-07-2012

We were shocked to learn about a new incident of abuse of a minor citizen of the Russian Federation adopted in the USA. As it turned out, 8-year-old Daniil Krichun, born in Tula, had been brutally battered for a long period of time by his American foster parents – Amy and Matthew Sweeney, residing in the state of Virginia. At the same time, neither local social and law-enforcement agencies nor the agency “Child of the Heart”, which had registered the adoption in 2006, were interested in what conditions the child lived in, though he always had bruises and scratches. Only after the child had to run away from home, he was placed in an asylum of temporary custody, and a criminal suit was filed against foster parents.

Right after the receipt of information about the difficult situation in which Daniil had appeared, the Embassy of Russia in the USA contacted American authorities and demanded to provide unswerving adherence of his rights and interests. The top-priority objective is to solve as soon as possible the problem of future place of living of the boy, where he can be in safety, surrounded with care, where he can be provided with qualified medical care and have an opportunity to study at school. We will also try to procure deprivation of parental rights of the Sweeneys, and their harsh punishment for child abuse.

Ignoring by American public authorities of what has been happening to Daniil Krichun for many years raises again the question of the readiness of the USA to fully implement the provisions of a bilateral Agreement on cooperation in the sphere of international adoption, which has been recently ratified by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and to ensure adequate control over the fate of children adopted from Russia. We insist that they finally bring order in this area. The completion of procedures necessary for coming of the aforementioned agreement into force, and the possibility of our future cooperation in the sphere of adoption will depend on this.