The verdict in the Miles Harrison trial has been handed down since this article was originally written. Please see my later post entitled No, no justice for Dmitry for more up to date information concerning the verdict. The article below appears as it was originally posted.

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Перевести на русский

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(For new readers, please see my earlier two pieces; *Updated* The death of Dmitry Yakolev/Chase Harrison and the Russian announcement; 2 agencies accreditations pulled & a 3rd under investigation and Dmitry (Dima) Yakolev/Chase Harrison and the 3 agencies; new details emerge to get up to speed.)

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Update- This is one of a series of posts about Dmitry’s death. Please follow my Dmitry Yakolev tag to read more.

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Thanks to the ongoing research on Dmitry’s case over at Pound Pup Legacy, by way of this small article, Adoption agencies shut after Russian child dies in U.S., (from back on the 12th,) we finally find an image of Dmitry:

The image appears to have been first published in this article, Russia bans three adoption agencies following baby’s death in the U.S. on the 11th.

By way of news articles update, the Baltimore Examiner, published this piece yesterday, U.S.-Russian tensions rise over infant’s death, about how Dmitry’s death has fanned the flames of the already tense U.S./Russian ongoing adoption situation:

But Chase’s death has spread concern among Russian officials that Americans aren’t regulating and keeping tabs on the parents who adopt children from Russia.

The article then goes on to repeat the claim that European Adoption Consultants has been banned.

The earlier Moscow times article, originally published on the 15th, says EAC has not been banned, but are being investigated by the Russian Education and Science Ministry.

The actual current status of EAC continues to be unclear in light of conflicting news reports and no statement (that I’ve come across anyway) mentioning the current status from EAC, the U.S. State Department, nor Russian Authorities.

To date the one statement I’ve come across, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, deals only with the investigation into Dmitry’s death, not the banning of Cradle of Hope Adoption Center and Family and Children’s Agency, nor of an investigation into EAC.

I will continue to try to find a clarification of the Russian position on EAC.

The article goes on to state:

Russian officials claim the adoption agency didn’t alert the government within the legally required time of Chase’s death.

As a result, Russian officials said, European Adoption Consultants Inc. and two other unnamed companies have been banned from Russia.

A spokesman for EAC declined to comment Tuesday, saying that the company is still trying to figure out what action the Russians have taken.

and

Calls to the U.S. State Department were not returned.

The United States and Russia already have a dicey past over adoption. In 2006 a Manassas woman was convicted of beating her Russian-born adopted daughter to death.

By way of blog updates, Bastardette brings us Damage Control: Dmitry Yakolev/Chase Harrison which points readers across European Adoption Consultants current brief front webpage statement about Dmitry’s death:

To our EAC Families and Friends

It is with deep regret that we acknowledge the unfortunate loss of one of our own. Chase (Dmitry) Harrison, adopted from Russia 03/2008, died on July 8th. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family in this time of sorrow.

We are currently assessing the situation and continuing to work with the Russian Federation on this matter.

As additional information becomes available we will keep you apprised.

I find this a rather stunning statement in light of the circumstances.

It makes no mention of how Dmitry died, nor that his death apparently occurred as a result of actions taken by his foster father, Miles H. Harrison, (I’m still looking for confirmation, but it appears the adoption itself was still been in process.) His foster father is currently facing charges of manslaughter for his role in Dmitry’s death.

The EAC statement makes it appear Dmitry simply up and died, when it’s relatively clear (we are still awaiting final autopsy results), that Dmitry died as a result of the actions of a man who had apparently gone through EAC’s approval process to adopt him. This is not merely a case of Dmitry being one of EAC’s “own”, Miles Harrison was also apparently one of EAC’s own.

The statement also says nothing about, nor even acknowledges that there may be an investigation into EAC for having apparently broken Russian law requiring Russian authorities be notified of Dmitry’s death in a timely fashion. (News of his death reached Russian authorities days after the fact. The officials at the Russian Embassy learned via the media.)

Nor is there any mention of EAC’s current status in regard to whether or not they are still accredited to do Russian adoptions.

Bastardette, in her comment thread on the same piece also points readers at a 2008 “Business Spotlight” profile piece of Margaret Cole’s European Adoption Consultants in the Bay Village Ohio Community Advocate entitled Uniting Orphaned Children with Loving Parents:

European Adoption Consultants, Inc. is presently one of the largest international adoption agencies in the world, and the top agency in Russia and Guatemala.

As I pointed out earlier, Dmitry is not the only Russian adoptee European Adoption Consultants has placed who has died due to the actions of their American adopters.

Logan Higgenbotham had also been placed by EAC and killed by her adoptive mother, Laura Higgenbotham in Vermont in 1988. (She pled no contest to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and received a 1 year prison sentence after having intentionally slammed 3 year old Logan’s head into a wall.)

Marley’s/Bastardette‘s “Memoriam to Russian Adoptees Murdered by their Forever Families,” NIKTO NE ZABYT — NICHTO NE ZABYTO, (Nobody is forgotten. Nothing is forgotten.) contains further information about Dmitry and Logan.