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Duma mistrusts US findings re death of Russian adopted child

Texas’ Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said earlier that the boy’s death was accidental

MOSCOW March 2 (Itar-Tass) – The State Duma mistrusts the findings announced by the U.S. authorities with regard to the causes of the death of Russian boy Maxim Kuzmin in the adoptive American family in Texas, State Duma Security and Anti-Corruption Committee Chair Irina Yarovaya of United Russia told Itar-Tass on Saturday, March 2.

“Obvious contradictions and mysteriousness surrounding the situation give one more than serious reasons to mistrust the information that has been released," he said. “The impression is that a continuation of the story has not been thought up yet.”

There are several things indicating that, Yarovaya stated. “First, it’s that the information about the boy’s death was withheld for a long time. Second, it’s an allegedly long forensic examination after his death became known. And finally, amidst justified joint demands by the authorities and society for a thorough investigation of Maxim Kuzmin’s death, their information that it was an accident, without no details, is bewildering, to say the least,” the MP said.

“Information is very curt and is not supported by any collaborating evidence,” she added.

Yarovaya believes that “the United States should allow our investigating bodies to conduct necessary procedures.” “I think the American authorities will not be able to limit the case to statements of accident. And the Russian Investigation Committee should conduct its own most thorough inquest,” she said.

Texas’ Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said earlier that the boy’s death was accidental.

“They returned a finding that the cause of death to this child was a laceration to the small bowel mesenteric artery of this child. But the manner of death was accidental,” he said.

“I had four doctors agree that this is the result of an accident Bland said at a joint news conference with Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson, referring to the January 21 death of Max Shatto, also known by his Russian name, Maxim Kuzmin.

“We have to take that as fact,” Bland said.

The Ector County sheriff in Texas said that the child had died as a result of an accident. Medics did not find traces of any medical preparations in the boy’s body although his foster parents’ lawyer said that they had been giving him a strong psychotropic drug for some time.

Bland confirmed that the medical examiners had found no sign of drugs in the boy’s system and added that bruises on his body were consistent with self-inflicted injuries.

“He had a history of self-injury,” Bland told. “It was a behavioral disorder that manifested itself in this way, and it was previously documented.”

Maxim Kuzmin and his elder brother Kirill were adopted by Alan and Laura Shatto of Texas late last year. The court ruling on their adoption was made in October 2012 before the Dima Yakovlev Law was passed and the ban on adoptions became effective. The boys arrived in the U.S. in December 2012 or early January 2013.

Maxim died on January 21 reportedly from cruel treatment by his foster mother. The American authorities are investigating the case. The results of autopsy are not known.

The Russian Investigation Committee has opened a criminal case in connection with Maxim Kuzmin’s murder.

Investigation Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said earlier that the Investigation Committee “is taking all necessary measures to bring the child’s foster mother to justice.”

He said the Russian investigators would ask the court to issue an arrest warrant for her in absentia and put her on the international wanted list. The Investigation Committee will also insist that the Russian investigators be allowed to take part in the investigation in the U.S.