The Houston Family Law Blog


Adopting Russian Boy Turns Into An Adoption Revocation

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Torry Hansen of Tennessee adopted a 7-year-old boy from Russia earlier this year, but ABC's Good Morning America reports that the woman recently sent the boy back on a plane to Moscow with a note in his pocket saying that she no longer wishes to parent the boy named Artyem Savilev.

"This child is mentally unstable," Torry Hansen wrote in a note to the Russian Ministry of Education, as reported by ABC. "He is violent and has severe psychopathic issues/behaviors. I was lied to and misled by the Russian orphanage workers and director regarding his mental stability and other issues."

The woman hopes to have the boy's adoption annulled (which can also be known as an adoption revocation), but this is not always an easy process. While most states allow for the annulment of adoption within a certain time frame, there are different laws and different procedures within each state. In the Lone Star state, Texas Health & Safety Code - Section 192.009 explains the legal procedures for the revocation of adoption. Texas family law attorneys usually can help parents through the process of an adoption annulment.

Torry Hansen's case is interesting among Texas family law attorneys because ABC reports that she could actually be facing criminal charges for sending Artyem Savilev back to Russia. District attorneys are now considering charging Torry Hansen and her mother Nancy Hansen with charges that include child abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, and educational neglect. Investigators are still looking into whether or not the women should be charged. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle said he also wants to investigate Artyem's case.

Related Resources:

  • International Adoptions FAQ (FindLaw)
  • Adoption Laws: State-by-State (FindLaw)
  • See a Houston Family Law Attorney (FindLaw)

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