Adopted Russian boy murdered by US mother: Moscow

MOSCOW - Agence France-Presse

Russia's children rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov speaks during his news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. AP Photo

A woman in the US state of Texas has killed her adopted Russian son, the Kremlin's envoy for children said Monday, outlining the latest alleged abuse of an adopted Russian child by American parents.
 
"Three-year-old Maxim was beaten (according to the investigators) by his adoptive mother, who fed him psychoactive drugs over a long period of time," ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said on his office's Twitter feed @RFdeti.
 
"He died before the arrival of the ambulance called by his adoptive mother. According to the autopsy report, the boy had many injuries." Russia has long complained about the treatment of Russian orphans adopted by American parents and in December controversially passed a law banning adoptions of Russian children by Americans.
 
Astakhov said the murder took place in late January and expressed dismay with Washington's response.
 
"The Russian embassy found out despite the lack of reaction by the State Department," said Astakhov.
 
In a coordinated move, both Russia's foreign ministry and the Investigative Committee quickly put out statements regarding the case of Maxim Kuzmin, who died on January 21, according to the ministry's human rights envoy.
 
The death is "yet another case of inhuman torture of a Russian child adopted by US parents," said commissioner Konstantin Dolgov.
 
He said the parents gave the boy the drug Risperdal used to treat adult schizophrenia and his body had signs of beatings.
 
"We are forced to declare that the US State Department -- unlike the authorities of Ector county -- did not help our consulate representatives in finding out the causes of a new fatal incident with a Russian child in the United States," Dolgov said in a videoed statement.
 
Russia's Investigative Committee said it began to look into the case and may eventually open a criminal probe once they look at documents provided by the foreign ministry and Astakhov.