This is cross posted from my Nikto Ne Zabyt (Memoriam for Russian Adoptees Murdered and Abused by their Forever Families) blog.
I have found it difficult to believe that any lawyer, even online, would have advised the Hansens to stick Artem on a plane and hire a tour guide to escort him to the Ministry of Science and Education building on Moscow’s main street. Hansen’s lawyer has now been identified as St. Petersburg attorney Karina Krasnova. Despite Nancy Hansen’s plea that she made a quick decision to send Artum back, Krasnova says Hanson contacted her a month ago about how to return the boy. Sending him to Tverskaya was definitely NOT the advice she gave.
Krasnova has a free Ask Russian Lawyer a Question feature on her (linked above) webpage. Guess what? That’s where Nancy Hansen got her advice–actually good advice–which she promptly ignored. If the Hansens think they can plead ignorance of the law or get Krasnova to back them up, they’re in for a real rude awakening.
Here is how the Q & A went:
Q: My daughter adopted boy from Russia (she is a single mother). My daughter was lied to about the child’s behavior by the orphanage caregivers. The safety of herself and others is a major issue. She is no longer willing to keep him in her home.
The child has stated many times that he wants to return to the orphanage and misses his friend. As the adoption has not worked, I would like to know what the Russian law is in returning him to the orphanage. Also, if the law allows this, how much you would charge to facilitate this matter.
A: Procedure for cancellation of adoption is regulated by Art. 140-142 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation. Adoption can be terminated only by court order and by serious reasons. Usually termination of adoption is a punitive measure applicable to parents who evade discharge of their parental obligations, abuse parental rights, abuse adopted children, or are alcohol or drug addicted.
However a court may also cancellation adoption by other reasons. According to Art. 141, par. 2 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation a court is entitled to terminate adoption of a child by other reasons taking into account child’s opinion and if it is in the best interests of the child.
Thus, notwithstanding that fact that the wish of adoptive parents to cancellation the adoption is not a direct and unconditional reason for such termination it may be done “by other reasons taking into account child’s opinion and if it is in the best interests of the child”.
If a court comes to a conclusion that return of the child to Russia is in his best interests a corresponding court order will be issued and it will lead to the following:
– reciprocal rights and obligations of the adopted child and the adoptive parents and their relatives (including grandmother) will be terminated by court order;
– the child will be returned to his parents by court order. If he has no parents or return of the child to the parents is not in his best interests, the child will be taken care of by guardianship institutions;
– the court will also decide whether the name given to the child after adoption will be changed.
You should also keep in mind that the court is entitled to lay an obligation to pay child maintenance over the former adoptive parent (your daughter) in accordance with the procedure established by the law. Therefore after termination of adoption in Russia your daughter may be obliged to pay child support until the child becomes 18 years old.
In interests of the child the court can resolve adoption of the child by other family, without returning the child to Russia. In this case I see an alternative way of dealing with your problem. Many families in America dream of adoption and your child may be adopted by another family, in this way he will be able to live in a family in the USA.
For any actions concerning this child it is necessary for you to receive approval of Russian authorities.
ince
Could this caveat–not the alleged scary drawing–have been the real last straw?
You should also keep in mind that the court is entitled to lay an obligation to pay child maintenance over the former adoptive parent (your daughter) in accordance with the procedure established by the law. Therefore after termination of adoption in Russia your daughter may be obliged to pay child support until the child becomes 18 years old.
ABC News reports that Torry Hansen was trolling for a replacement, even while planning to return Artem to sender. No matter how many yard sales the Hansens throw, that won’t pay for two kids.
How in the world did the Hansens think ugly cut-bait-and-run stunt, clearly illegal, would help Torry adopt another kid? Or that they’d even get away with it? You can’t even pull that off with a cat shelter.
It’s looking more and more to me like Torry Hansen lied during her post-placement report too, no doubt to keep Plan B hushed up. If this can be back-dated a month, then surely she was thinking along these lines much before that.
I can’t understand why law enforcement in our own country isn’t moving faster on this. What if other adoptive parents take their Russian adopted kids to an airport that is not in their area and start flying them back as well? What will it take for someone to get Torry and her mother into an interview? (AnonJ)
What will it take to stop international adoption and the huge profits made by agencies who don’t do their job properly?Any failure to assess properly is on the agency that was involved here.No defending Hansen’s act in any way, it was inhumane but she should have been assessed by an experienced person who picked up the potential problem.Bottom line is kids suffer, again.
Sorry, BD, forgot to add: remember the case where the couple dropped the kid back off in his original orphanage in Jakarta? the courts ruled they had to pay support and he was entitled to their estate when they passed on too.
Thanks, BD, for digging into this. I was wondering about this online lawyer. This Russian lawyer gave her very good and thorough advice. Though not nearly enough, it would be a start if the Hansens had to pay child support for Artem.
Wonder why they (or should I say, Nancy) did not contact a lawyer in the United States?
Anon, when it comes to even censuring adopters, the US officials tread lightly. If this had been a natural mother who sent her son back, say, to live with relatives because she didn’t want him around anymore, they would be all over her like gravy on biscuits.
The Hansen women are really a study in weirdness. Mama seems to run the show with daughter acting as the goat. With the description of the “compound, fences, etc.,” methinks someone is trying to found a power base of some sort.
Maybe sending Artyom back as they did was an attempt by the Hansens to exhibit “abuse, neglect, evasion of parental obligations” — grounds for termination of adoption as outlined by the Russian lawyer?
“Adoption can be terminated only by court order and by serious reasons. Usually termination of adoption is a punitive measure applicable to parents who evade discharge of their parental obligations, abuse parental rights, abuse adopted children, or are alcohol or drug addicted.”
Sick people, the Hansens…
Artyom already looks much better after a few days away from them!
Today is Sat. Aug 14 2010. Previous comments are in April; hope this will be read. Much concern by many here about Hansen. Family lived in Hayfork CA where some/all of the kids were born, parents & Torry & siblings lived in Redding CA for some time. Lots of Hansen names in Shasta, CA not far away… Recent news article told of Tori Hansen receiving some (high?) school activity award. Name reflective of relative Torry? Mentioning possibility of relatives in area, also some Hansen name still in Redding. Torry’s parents owned Logging Business in Northern Calif area, possibly with other Hansen members? Why did they move to Tennessee, couple of counties below Al Gore… reason could be no State taxes… California grapevine was Hansen family strange. Now, adult single unemployed Registered Nurse lives at home controlled by parents and tries to gather brood of little boys. NOTE: Please clarify ABC’s comment that Torry was trolling for replacement for Russian… WHEN was she searching… because she had tried to ADD another 7-ish y/o boy not replace the Russian soon after getting the Russian and the Agency told her NO, WAIT until this one settles in… There was already 1 boy sometimes called “Bio” boy and some guess name as Loren, apx 8-9 y/o in the compound. Some said he is Torry’s SISTER’s boy… and they were keeping him away from his father… Never registered for school or for home school registration. No little friends, no 4th of July town picnics, no Santa’s house visits, and Shelbyville Super of Schools said they never knew the bio boy existed until news of the Russian came out and an additional boy was mentioned. Couple of years ago Hansen’s lived in Chapel Hill, TN before moving to present location of Shelbyville, TN; boy apx 6-7 y/o at that time, as calculated from news articles. Gossip grapevine tells that Torry on occasion carried boy HIDDEN IN A BOX across backyards and fields from her Chapel Hill home, to put him in waiting cars on sideroad and told people who might have seen her that she had HER son in the box and was hiding him from his dad. CAN’T FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THE BOY. COULD HE BE A MISSING CHILD? Is he getting too big for her to carry around in boxes to waiting cars and the plan was to “replace” him with a new boy but the Russian didn’t like the SCRIPT??? What is she doing with the CAMERAS, why is she gathering little boys? What will she do to get more now that Adoption Agencies won’t let her have more because Russia called her a CHILD ABUSER and closed down adoptions by Americans? US State Dept Rep said in TV interview he was going to Russia to talk to them about lifting their ban on Americans adopting their kids. Reporter asked him what the woman said who sent the kid back… the Rep said NO I haven’t talked to her, and we do not intend to talk to her. THERE IS NO REASON to talk to her. WHAT? WHY? Who ARE these people and what powerpeople are supporting/covering them… and why… Was there a connection between Russia canceling their adoption ban, and the US gathering a bunch of Russian Spies and sending most back to Russia first-class and past the Go-To-Jail square? The Mata Hari Russian Female Spy engaged Americans to look at her body instead of their Flag. Slick.
Part 1 Today is Sat. Aug 14 2010. Previous comments are in April; hope this will be read. Much concern by many here about Hansen. Family lived in Hayfork CA where some/all of the kids were born, parents & Torry & siblings lived in Redding CA for some time. Lots of Hansen names in Shasta, CA not far away… Recent news article told of Tori Hansen receiving some (high?) school activity award. Name reflective of relative Torry? Mentioning possibility of relatives in area, also some Hansen name still in Redding. Torry’s parents owned Logging Business in Northern Calif area, possibly with other Hansen members? Why did they move to Tennessee, couple of counties below Al Gore… reason could be no State taxes… California grapevine was Hansen family strange. Now, adult single unemployed Registered Nurse lives at home controlled by parents and tries to gather brood of little boys. NOTE: Please clarify ABC’s comment that Torry was trolling for replacement for Russian… WHEN was she searching… because she had tried to ADD another 7-ish y/o boy not replace the Russian soon after getting the Russian and the Agency told her NO, WAIT until this one settles in… There was already 1 boy sometimes called “Bio” boy and some guess name as Loren, apx 8-9 y/o in the compound. Some said he is Torry’s SISTER’s boy… and they were keeping him away from his father… Never registered for school or for home school registration. No little friends, no 4th of July town picnics, no Santa’s house visits, and Shelbyville Super of Schools said they never knew the bio boy existed until news of the Russian came out and an additional boy was mentioned.
Part 2 Today is Sat. Aug 14. Couple of years ago Hansen’s lived in Chapel Hill, TN before moving to present location of Shelbyville, TN; boy apx 6-7 y/o at that time, as calculated from news articles. Gossip grapevine tells that Torry on occasion carried boy HIDDEN IN A BOX across backyards and fields from her Chapel Hill home, to put him in waiting cars on sideroad and told people who might have seen her that she had HER son in the box and was hiding him from his dad. CAN’T FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THE BOY. COULD HE BE A MISSING CHILD? Is he getting too big for her to carry around in boxes to waiting cars and the plan was to “replace” him with a new boy but the Russian didn’t like the SCRIPT??? What is she doing with the CAMERAS, why is she gathering little boys? What will she do to get more now that Adoption Agencies won’t let her have more because Russia called her a CHILD ABUSER and closed down adoptions by Americans? US State Dept Rep said in TV interview he was going to Russia to talk to them about lifting their ban on Americans adopting their kids. Reporter asked him what the woman said who sent the kid back… the Rep said NO I haven’t talked to her, and we do not intend to talk to her. THERE IS NO REASON to talk to her. WHAT? WHY? Who ARE these people and what powerpeople are supporting/covering them… and why…
Part 3 today is Sat. Aug. 14. This is last segment. This information is requested that will help if the Bio boy is a Missing Child… and for another major situation.
Was there a connection between Russia canceling their adoption ban, and the US gathering a bunch of Russian Spies and sending most back to Russia first-class and past the Go-To-Jail square? The Mata Hari Russian Female Spy engaged Americans to look at her body instead of their Flag. Slick. Why did Torry/Nancy go to Washington State to adoption agency when there are closer ones… what did they tell the Washington State adoption group about the bio boy? If this is the agency they used in WA, it serves Lesbians etc. wanting children http://www.familieslikeours.org Do they have photos? His history, age, father, ANY RECORD of that boy? An article mentioned that Torry told someone she wanted to get a Russian boy to grow up with her sister’s Russian heritage son… The Sheriff in Shelbyville said he was waiting for Torry to come in and talk about Russian event. His office later said he wouldn’t talk to anybody about this, that a DA had stepped in and took case over. After that, NO NEWS. Is someone powerful assisting the Hansen’s or Torry? What do you have? Seen photos of bio boy?
To Robin comment Apr 14… we are thinking on same wave length I think. Add this. Was there an exchange of Silver on Sauvie Island OR for little KYRON, a 7-yr-old-boy??? Did she get another 7 yr old that she couldn’t get through an Agency now? Did Terri Horman learn of the other TH’s frustration and contact her? Interestingly, they were from same areas… Northern California, and Lower Oregon… close to same ages… Terri Moulton Horman had been adopted. Risking a lot with these questions here… Need response URGENTLY from those concerned with Missing Children and Abused Children… and in Tracking the Powerbase that encourages this.