[mschweber]

This is a horrible story. It is alway huge news in Russia in those rare instances where there is a problem with a child adopted from Russia and living in the U.S. I wonder how this story will be played there:

Beaten up boy taken away from adoptive parents | Top Stories from 2009-03-30 | RT

Beaten up boy taken away from adoptive parents
30 March, 2009, 15:35

A four-year old boy, who received numerous injuries and burns, has been taken away from his adoptive parents, together with his sister, and put into the hospital, Interfax news agency reports.

Gleb Ageyev arrived at one of Moscow’s hospitals last Wednesday. After the doctors examined him, they diagnosed closed cerebral trauma, genital mutilation, and thermal burns. The boy also had a black eye and blood stains all over his neck, a cut lip, and front teeth knocked out.

The medics indicated that some of the traumas were quite old, and came to the conclusion that Gleb was regularly beaten up.

The boy’s adoptive parents, Anton Ageyev and his wife Larisa, explained his condition by saying that he had fallen down the stair case. But the doctors contacted the police after the toddler revealed that his mother battered him with a tea-pot.

A criminal case was launched against the parents. But despite that, the father was able take Gleb away from the hospital and return him home last week, as the local authorities backed the version of an accidental fall.

Meanwhile, Ageyev’s lawyer, Anton Zharov, claims the child was put into hospital together with his mother. In an interview with Russia’s Ekho Moskvy radio station he said that they were sent there not for treatment, but to keep them away from all the media attention.

He stressed that without the involvement of the press, it would have been an ordinary case of a child injuring himself by accident, as such things happen to children all the time.

One tragedy leads to another

The Newsru.com website reports that the Ageyevs, from Korobovo village in the Moscow region, adopted two kids – a one-year-old girl, Polina, and a three-year-old boy, Aleksey, whom they stated calling Gleb, last year.

Previously, the family had suffered a tragedy, when they lost their only child, who died at age 16.

Korobovo residents say Larisa started drinking afterwards, and Anton decided to adopt the kids to help his wife overcome her sorrow. The family could easily afford raising two toddlers as Anton Ageyev was a top manager at one of Moscow’s banks.

But, according to the neighbors, Larisa never loved the adoptive kids like her own. She often shouted at them and spanked them. And if Gleb and Polina behaved badly, they were sent outside to spend a night in the yard together with the dogs.

Gleb’s parents invited to Public Chamber

Now, Gleb’s adoptive parents are invited to the meeting of Russia’s Public Chamber, to be held on Monday.

The Public Chamber was created in 2005 to analyze draft legislation and monitor the activities of the parliament, government, and other government bodies of Russia.

"We have gathered an emergency meeting of the Public Chamber on Monday, and we have invited Gleb’s parents as well as representatives of the administrations of Moscow and the Moscow region, prosecutors, and police, as well as bodies of trusteeship and guardianship to take part," said Chamber member, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

All of the sides are reported to have accepted the invitation.

Grechushkins case

This is not the only episode of ill-treatment of kids by their adoptive parents. A couple of weeks ago, a criminal case was launched against the Grechushkin family, who tortured, and eventually brutally murdered their 4-year-old son.

They were also charged in the death of another foster child, which occurred several months earlier. The one-and-half-year old boy was choked with vomit, and numerous traces of blows were found on his body. But at that time, the conclusion of forensic experts went unnoticed by law enforcement agencies.

[angelkisses0102]

Horrific and heartbreaking....

[MamaS]

And what about this one - Russian parents adopting to get a cash subsidy and qualify for a mortgage! To think I had to pay off my mortgage in order to qualify to adopt!

Cash-strapped parents in Russia admit adopting child for state support / MosNews.com