Mom who sent adoptive child back to Russia ordered to pay child support

Torry Hansen plays with Artyom Saveliev during one of the visits before she decided to adopt the child. / CBS

(CBS/AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. - An American woman who adopted a Russian boy and then later sent him back to Moscow on a one-way flight has been ordered to pay $150,000 and cough up an additional $1,000 a month in child support.

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On Thursday a Bedford County, Tenn., judge said Torry Hansen must begin making the child support payments in June and continue to pay until the boy turns 18.

Hansen sent Artyom Saveliev back to Russia on one-way international flight in April 2010. She sent the boy alone with a note that partially said: "I am sorry to say that for the safety of my family, friends, and myself," the letter said, "I no longer wish to parent this child. As he is a Russian national, I am returning him to your guardianship," according to CBS News.

"He is violent and has severe psychopathic issues," she added.

Hansen's mother told the Associated Press that the boy was violent, saying that he drew pictures of him burning the family house down. She said they feared for their safety, and said that the Russian orphanage lied because they wanted to get rid of the boy. While the Hansen sought counseling about the issue, she never brought Saveliev to see a psychiatrist or psychologist.

The event caused outrage in the international community, prompting Russia to consider halting all American adoptions from their country, CBS News reported.

Afterward the World Association for Children and Parents, the agency that helped Hansen adopt the child, filed a lawsuit seeking child support.

Hansen has since moved to California and has not appeared at any of the hearings.

According to an Associated Press update on his story in April 2012, Saveliev now lives in a village made up of foster families outside of Moscow. When asked if he wanted to return to America, he shivered and yelled "No!" He refuses to speak in English, and has had to go through extensive counseling and speech therapy to start communicating again.

[bethkiss]

I am glad Torry Hansen was finally able to get pregnant and have a child of her own.

[Ceres6]

She did the right things and now corrupt politicians want to destroy her. That money will go to the pockets of corrupt lawyers and politicians. Who would want to have a dangerous child in your house who at any moment could massacre your entire family when they are sleeping.

[Rod_Smith]

Did the right things? Are you kidding? If your child had behavioral issues and drew pictures of the house burning down, would you put them on a plane with a sticky note? If you did, you'd be arrested, and rightly so. She got off easy only having to pay a fine and child support.

How often has a russian adoptee murdered a family member? I've never heard of it happening, ever. Well, unless you count that movie. Lots of kids do the things that this boy did; just look through the comments here and you'll find several. Ceres6, I hope you don't have children, because with your attitude they'd have worse issues than the boy in the story.

[SleepinWithTheFishes]

Not sure what good that "child support" ruling is supposed to do, but that's just sad. Yeah, Russia is a high-risk country to adopt from (insanely high fetal alcohol syndrome rates, among other issues), but the mom should've known that going in. We were lucky with our daughter (adopted from China, not Russia) -- a couple of years of physical therapy due to get her caught up from excessive crib time was all that was needed (other than tons and tons of TLC). We were prepared for far worse. Once you take on the job, just as with a bio child, you gotta take the bad with the good.

[AmazingGrce]

Anyone who has reviewed and read about international adoptions to any extent will know that the MAJORITY of children offered up for adoption to 'outsiders' will be outside the range of 'normal' in some way either physically, mentally or both. This has been a longstanding practice in many many countries. The kids without issues are normally adopted by people in their home country. The exceptions will be those 3rd world countries where overall economics prohibit virtually anyone from that country from adopting.

The only problem I have with this ladies actions is the way she went about it. As I remember the adoption agency was little to no help at all. And I agree that child will see nothing of any child support paymentsl. That money will probably never even leave this country.

[antoniof123]

I think she got off light. I have four children and they all drew pictures of house burning and people getting killed by vampires and the whole lot. Just like everyone of you it is part of growning up.

Now my kids haveing grown up except for the 16 year old all have families and all are great kids they love their children and are raising their kids. The 16 year old is a straight A student.

The other kids who have their own kids are now telling their old man the same thing I told my dad how did you do it?

Too bad some (must be those that don't have kids) are defending this piece of garbage.

[pammmmmm]

Did she look for help before shipping him back like an unwanted piece of furniture? She's a bag!

[wtcmedic911]

Seems there needs to be a "lemon law" for adopted kids!!!

[cbsnews_viewer]

Its a sickness to think of children as item in the store. The least this woman could have did is return with the child to Moscow, but she ran. These are little kids.

[shameonbush]

I really feel sorry for that little boy. I'm sure that, in time, he would have been fine. Too bad he had to put up with such uncaring people.

[rubberrezi]

I am Russian and my mother works in an orphanage in Russia. Most of the children are from homes broken by alcoholism and drugs and many of the children do have serious emotional and psychiatric problems.
What she did may not be right but the government does try to pawn off the worst of the children on unsuspecting foreigners(read Americans).
If she does pay money to this adoption agency this child will never see any of it.

[Linda2621]

Thanks for this information. We did an international adoption from another country and have heard about the situation in Russia. I would expect anyone adopting from Russia including this woman would be aware. Our friends adopted a beautiful, healthy child from Russia but having said that any child over a certain age could definitely have attachment disorder. Sad to hear that the child is not likely to see any of the money.

[cbsnews_viewer]

I am curious to know how this story played in the Russian media. (if you know. Russia is a people, a culture, and often a system. How does ones wisely navigate this system?

[Rod_Smith]

Obviously the adoption agency didn't prepare her the realities of adopting a child, particularly one from an orphanage overseas, nor was she properly screened, as she was not equipped to care for this child or accept him as her own. If a child she gave birth to acted this way, would she have dropped him somewhere? It's no wonder the kid acted out when he's treated like a defective toy instead of a son. When you adopt, that is your child, the same as if you gave birth to him. If you cannot see them that way, you shouldn't adopt; be a foster parent or something, but don't adopt.

[Proteios]

Good point. The treatment of humans as mere commodities gives rise to this phenomenon. The same what you return a big Mac if it isn't cooked right. You adopt, you get what you get,it's yours,

[Linda2621]

The woman definitely did the wrong thing. You simply can not stick a child on an airplane with a one way ticket as she did. No defense of her actions is possible. Having said that, it sounds like this child had severe attachment disorder and from what I have heard/read such a child may never bond with you and will certainly try to burn your house down, kill the cat or dog and other very serious, non-empathetic, disruptive (so say the least) behaviors. Undoubtedly, the agency knew this and very likely did not tell her as she would not likely have adopted the child. "It's no wonder the kid acted out when he's treated like a defective toy instead of a son." Sadly, this child was likely seriously psychologically disturbed before he ever got connected with his adoptive family. Unfortunately, due to their treatment from birth to adoption as well as lack of pre-natal care, some of this children can not be brought back around. Very sad story.