The U.S. Embassy has moved to defuse the latest adoption scandal between the United States and Russia after the death of a Russian orphan in Nebraska last week prompted a senior official to renew calls for fewer foreign adoptions.
Nine-year-old Anton Fomin immigrated to the United States with his birth parents, not through intercountry adoption, the embassy said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov confirmed that Fomin was given up for adoption after arriving in the United States.
Fomin died last week in a house fire at the home of his adoptive parents in Davey, Nebraska.
Astakhov hinted in several Twitter messages on Monday that Fomin had been adopted by U.S. foster parents through intercountry adoption, which has been rattled by abuse scandals in recent years.
U.S. adoptions need to be reformed, and fewer Russian children should adopted abroad, he said.
At least 17 Russian children have died in the United States as a result of abuse by their parents since 1995, Astakhov said in January 2011.
In 2010, 1,079 Russian children were adopted by American families, down from 3,966 in 2005.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
