Russia demands U.S. investigation into alleged orphan rape case

Russia demands U.S. investigation into alleged orphan rape case

2011-06-17 10:18:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Russia on Thursday demanded that the United States launches a thorough investigation into the alleged rape of a Russian orphan by his foster father in the United States, RIA Novosti reported.

Alexander Lukashevich, spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that an investigation was requested in regards to Ksenia, a Russian orphan adopted by a U.S. family in the southern Georgia State.

"We demand that the U.S. authorities hold an all-embracing and thorough investigation into the assault of Ksenia and hand down a just verdict to the guilty party," said Lukashevich.

The foster father, Michael Gismore, was arrested by U.S. authorities in 2010 and charged with regularly sexually abusing the 16-year-old. The defendant, however, claimed that the sexual intercourse with Ksenia was consensual and that the girl was 16 years old at the time.

According to Georgia's state law, 16 is the legal age of consent but according to documents of Russia's Federal Migration Service, Ksenia was born in October 1994 and thus was 15 years old at the time of the alleged abuses.

Ksenia, who was born in Russia's Kemerovo region, is currently at a children's orphanage in Georgia, where she is receiving physical and psychological treatment. The U.S. Department of State notified the Russian Consulate General of the case last June.

Lukashenko remarked that the Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in the U.S. are keeping a close eye on the situation. He also criticized the late notification by the U.S. government. "Such a blasphemous and outrageous case calls again for the immediate conclusion of an agreement with the United States on cooperation in international adoptions," added the spokesman.

The U.S. and Russia have failed in reaching an agreement on the safety of Russian children adopted by U.S. families. Negotiations began in 2010 but have so far been without success. Furthermore, Russia suspended adoptions after a Tennessee woman sent her 7-year-old adoptive son back to Moscow.

The mother claimed that he was psychotic and decided to put him on a plane along with a handwritten note. An estimated 60,000 Russian children have been legally adopted by American families in recent years.

According to Russia's ombudsman for children's rights Pavel Astakhov, seventeen Russian children have died in the United States due to child abuse since the process was launched about 15 years ago.

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