Death by Adoption: One Door Opens, Another Closes in the International Redistribution of Children

The Australia-Ethiopia intercountry adoption program was suspended last year over fears Australia could not continue the practice in a manner consistent with its obligations under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. The ban has been lifted and Australians will again be allowed to adopt children from Ethiopia.

However, the beating death of a New York boy has prompted Russian officials to call for a suspension of adoptions to U.S. parents and sparked demands for an investigation into whether the Russian-born boy’s adoption was legal.

The beating death of Nathaniel Craver, who was born Ivan Skorobogatov, was called “an outrage” by Andrei Sitov, bureau chief for Russia’s ITAR-TASS wire service.

Nathaniel Craver was adopted from Russia by Nanette and Michael Craver along with his twin sister in 2003 and becomes the 15th or 16th child adopted from Russia by Americans who was murdered at the hands of his "rescuing" "forever family" in recent years.

Nanette and Michael Craver of Carroll Township are charged with killing Nathaniel, who died Aug. 25. The 7-year-old had 80 wounds in various stages of healing, according to authorities. The couple were charged last week.

Nathaniel’s death is eerily similar to the death of Viktor Matthey, born Viktor Tulimov. Viktor and his twin brothers had been adopted by Robert and Brenda Matthey in 1999.
   
By 2000, Viktor was dead, starved and neglected by his adoptive parents in New Jersey.
   
After the Mattheys’ conviction, Robert’s mother, Phyllis Matthey-Johnson, who was then property manager of my townhouse complex, adopted the twins.
  
Police reports indicated York County Children and Youth had briefly removed the children from the Cravers'  home, but then returned them. After the investigation was concluded, the Cravers removed the twins from public school to home school them.