Children's ombudsman reports death of Russian-born child adopted in Canada

10:32 12/12/2011

MOSCOW, December 12 - RAPSI. Presidential commissioner for children's rights Pavel Astakhov has reported about the death of Russian-born Sasha adopted in Canada.

Astakhov wrote in his Twitter page on Saturday: "It has been established that our four-year-old child Sasha died in Canada. He was beaten to death by his adoptive mother's lover Eric Grenier." "It is an old case. It happened in 2002, but it became known only now," Astakhov told RIA Novosti.

According to him this case was uncovered by a group set up to monitor the status of the adopted children.

On Saturday Astakhov said he did not rule out imposing a moratorium on children's adoption and relocation to the United States before the US - Russian adoption agreement is ratified.

He said a dangerous situation has developed abroad when a huge number of violations of Russian-born children's rights keeps on growing. He also emphasized the gravest situation over children's rights violations can be seen in the United States.

According to his information there is an American family which adopted 21 girls from Russia with the purpose of sexually abusing them. "We have found out dozens of such case now," the ombudsman said.

He thinks America is demonstrating its inability to ensure the rights of Russian children adopted in the USA. In Astakhov's estimate about 100,000 currently live in the United States.