Ombudsman urges expediting adoption deal

Russia’s Children’s Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov is urging an expedient signing of a Russia-US agreement on adoption given the incidence of violent treatment of adopted children.

In the opposite case, Russia would be forced to reconsider introducing a moratorium on US adoption, Astakhov said and stressed that he intends to pursue the introduction of criminal responsibility for culpable parents.

The latest despicable case of violence concerns Daniil and Oleg Bukharov, adopted into an Alaskan family.

Their adopted mother admitted on a TV show to disciplining Daniil by forcing him to hold hot sauce in his mouth and making him take cold showers.