Death of Texas toddler fuels Russian government's anti-adoption stance

DALLAS Russian authorities have blamed "inhuman treatment" for the death of a 3-year-old boy adopted by an American family, but Texas officials say they are still investigating claims that the child was abused before his death.

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American family beats Russia's adoption ban

Russia's Investigative Committee said Monday that it had questions about the death of an adoptee authorities identified as Maxim Kuzmin. The committee is the country's top investigative agency.

Texas Child Protective Services spokesman Patrick Crimmins confirmed the agency had received a report on Jan. 21 of the death of a 3-year-old named Max Shatto, and that the Ector County Sheriff's Office in West Texas was investigating.

Crimmins said CPS had received allegations of physical abuse and neglect, but had not determined whether those allegations were true. Sgt. Gary Duesler, spokesman for the Ector County Sheriff's Office, said no arrests have been made and authorities are waiting for autopsy results.

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An obituary for Max Shatto published Jan. 26 by the Midland Reporter-Telegram says he was born on Jan. 9, 2010, in the town of Pskov, near Russia's western border with Estonia. The boy lived with a family in Gardendale, about 350 miles west of Dallas, before his death on Jan. 21, according to the obituary.

The boy's listed adoptive parents, Alan and Laura Shatto, did not return a phone message Monday.

The death comes weeks after Russia announced it was banning all American adoptions in retaliation for a new U.S. law targeting alleged Russian human-rights violators. The ban also reflects lingering resentment over the 60,000 Russian children adopted by Americans in the past two decades, of which at least 19 have died.

Russian Foreign Ministry official Konstantin Dolgov said in a statement that the boy's death was "yet another case of inhuman treatment of a Russian child adopted by American parents."

Duesler said he could not immediately confirm or deny Russian allegations of abuse. Most U.S. government offices were closed Monday in observance of a federal holiday.

Dolgov also accused the U.S. Department of State of not helping Russian consular officials investigate the death. The State Department declined to comment. Crimmins said the consulate had contacted Child Protective Services.

[north-halcyon]

I'm a father of 1,5 years old child. So, when I heard about this terrible incident, my first tought was - why, why it happens? Nobody not knows, nobody isnt controlled child adoption through 2,5 monthes? Where was CPS, when parents of baby are buying expensive psyho-drugs? Where was a neighborhoods? What a heck is going on, Americans?

[adoptiongoddess1]

Crazy crazy crazy that this situation is being used as an anti-international adoption story. This is yet another sign of how the entire conversation about international adoption has gone off the rails and no longer has much to do with the best interests of adopted children.

Of course this is a horrible tragedy, but given the mortality rates in the U.S., what does this story actually have to do with adoption? Nothing. Yet once again, governments--here, the Russian government--is manipulating the facts and the press to serve their own agenda with the U.S. government.

As a mother of four through adoption, I find the use of our most vulnerable children to serve political ends heinous and unacceptable.

http://www.adoptiongoddess.com

[enoughsaidu]

There are SO many kids needing homes here in the US. I do understand that it is easier/quicker to adopt overseas, but is that really better? Maybe if there was a ban overall on all foreign adoptions people would stop taking the easy way and do what should have been done years ago. Reform the adoption rules for US children. I know quite a few people who have adopted from Russia and Taiwan and some that have adopted local. True fully even the families that adopted US "drug" babies have had less long term issues that the foreign adoptions. Just saying what I have seen. Love or hate it, it is the truth.

[Kuncice]

I was adopted from a German orphanage by an American couple and applaud the ban prohibiting Americans from adopting Russian children. In this television interview, I describe international adoption from a unique perspective--that of a foreign orphan adopted to the United States--and harm caused by uprooting children from their native countries and cultures, the abandonment of US foster care children and money's corrupting influence on international adoption.

Peter Dodds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1kEbQ-5p5g

[MimiReed]

Puh-leese. 60,000 Russian orphans have been adopted into the US in the past 20 years. Assuming 40,000 of them were children any given year, the mortality rate in the US is 15.3 per 100,000 for children ages 5-14. If Russian children died at the same rates as native-born, then 61 should have died in the past 10 years. Accidental causes would kill 22 alone, and 6 would have died from various illnesses and cancers.

Adopted Russian children are safer than natural-born American children, on average. This despite their broken back ground and their numerous health problems.

Never mind what would happen to them in Russia. Russian child mortality is 150% of that in the US--and that's including all the kids OUTSIDE of the orphanages.

The Kremlin is full of it again.

[nohater]

what are the sources for your posted data? you give numbers, percentages but don't cite sources. hard to believe your post without cited sources.

[JLurve]

Perhaps if US adoptive families stopped killing/abusing their newly adopted, Russian-born children, Russia might be persuaded to lift the ban.

Perhaps if the US stopped violating the US-Russia adoption treaty by failing to inform the Russian Government of the suspicious death of this little boy (as required by the BRAND NEW ADOPTION TREATY that came into force on November 1, 2012), Russia might be persuaded to lift the ban.

This boy was adopted all of 2.5 months ago, and declared healthy except for a heart condition (by the EIGHT doctors in Russia who examined the boy and is adoptive parents, as required by law) and yet:
- there were several reports of neglect/abuse to CPS
- the boy died under VERY suspicious circumstances.

The Kremlin may well be "full of it", but in this particular case, they are also LEGITIMATELY entitled to be horrified by this VERY suspicious death.

(While domestic child mortality in Russia - in families and orphanages - is certainly an important issue, it is also one that falls WELL outside the scope of the recent legislation banning Americans, and ONLY Americans, from adopting Russian kids).

Perhaps Russia prefers their kids be adopted by European and Canadian families? You know, the ones who somehow manage NOT TO KILL their Russian-born kids like Americans??

[LyingPols]

Bribes. The Russians just want bribes to make it go away. Russians are corrupt, barbaric, feral bureaucrats - and ours aren't much better.

[centralcacoast]

Adopting a child in the U.S. is a nightmare of red tape. There are a ton of rules that keep prospective parents from adopting toddlers/babies. By the time an adoption goes through the toddler is a teenager!

[MrsHippy]

Vun ded Rushin and Putin pupes himself. What to expect from Dick Tater!~

[readg821]

Many children who are adopted from overseas have had a tough beginning and carry "baggage". Background reports on the children try hard to be accurate, but the source of information -verbal- by neighbors & family is hard to verify. I know of some adoptive families where the children reveal the true situation, after they become fluent in English. Don't judge the adoptive family, the child or the overseas agency until you have walked in their shoes.

[Filmguy870]

Have you seen Russian Dash-cam videos??? Things are infinitely more dangerous in "Mother" Russia!!!!