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Documents ‘fudged’ in Justin Hansen case because of concerns about Russian response
From the Times-Gazette:
E-mails between adoption workers involved with the case of a Russian boy who was sent back to his homeland alone by a former Shelbyville woman appear to indicate that reports about the placement of the child to Russian officials may have been “fudged.”
In April, adoptive mother Torry Hansen sent 7-year-old Justin, also known as Artyom Savelyev, back to Moscow without an adult escort, triggering an international uproar over the adoption of Russian children.
The boy had been placed with the Hansens by World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), a Renton, Wash.-based adoption agency, and the family had been investigated by Adoption Assistance Inc., an agency based in Danville, Ky, on behalf of WACAP…
However on March 29, a little over a week before the child was sent back to Moscow, an e-mail conversation was inadvertently forwarded to Torry Hansen by Janet Anderson, the Family Finders Program Information Specialist for WACAP, which suggested that adoption workers alter information in the post-placement report that was to be passed along to the Russians…
An e-mail to Lisa Mosley of Adoption Assistance from Anderson dated March 18 dealt with “the edited version of the Hansen post-placement report,” with Anderson saying they “need to stick ‘exactly’ to the template and cannot add or subtract any categories.”
Anderson stated that a work or business phone was needed for Torry, but she told Mosley that “(w)e also need to fudge on the visit date, because it’s too early by Russian rules.”
“Visits can’t happen any sooner than 30 days before the due date,” Anderson’s e-mail to Mosley reads. “The Hansen’s due date to our office is 3/29/2010, and that would make the earliest date the 1st of March.”
Anderson also said that “(w)e had to take out the last sentence where you were describing discipline, because it wouldn’t translate well.”
“The sentence describing talks and verbal reprimands is enough,” she wrote. “Russians are very different disciplinarians (by Western standards) and we don’t want any misunderstandings.”
Anderson explained that they had “edited the sentence at the beginning of Family Unit/Family History,” asking Mosley to confirm if Torry owns or rents her home.
“We also edited the portion where it states the extended family, ‘live outside the home,’” Anderson wrote. “When translated, this might mean that they live in a tent or something…”…
Anderson also told Mosley to “(p)lease be extra cautious” about future reports “for any family with a Russian adoptee with regards to the family homeschooling children.”
“Russia really frowns on the concept of homeschooling,” Anderson wrote, pointing out that a homeschooled Russian adoptee living in Pennsylvania “was murdered by his parents this year.”
“If it is mentioned, you need to elaborate that the homeschooling curriculum is being administered by the state/school board/etc., and that the child gets to socialize with other children or is enrolled in sports/activities with peers.” Anderson said. “Russia does not want to see the child(ren) isolated at home, and neither do we.”
Anderson concluded the e-mail stating that when the final version of the post-placement report is submitted to them on letterhead, “we need to have the notary date and signature date match the date that the report was written.”
“I know that this isn’t best practice, but it is Russia’s rule,” she wrote…
Access the full article here.
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