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On air: Do adoptive parents have the right to return their child?

Claudia Bradshaw Claudia Bradshaw | 10:03 UK time, Thursday, 15 April 2010

A little seven year old boy called hit the headlines this week when his adoptive American grandmother put him on a plane on his own and sent him back to Russia, where her daughter had adopted him. Justin, whose Russian name is Artyom Savelyev, was found by Moscow police with a note saying and had severe psychopathic issues.

Russia is now to America after President Medvedev called it a .

Many Torry-Ann Hansen, the adoptive mother. says "I don't wish to dismiss the relevance of severe behavior problems of some children and the havoc and heartache it can bring to a family unit, but children are not unruly puppies that can be dropped off at the pound when we find we are unable to train them to mesh with the household."

Some blame the child's behaviour.

Some blame the . the boy's adoptive grandmother said "The Russian orphanage officials completely lied... because they wanted to get rid of him".

And some . Michelle Goodwin says: "agencies and orphanages with very murky practices have rapidly developed in places like Russia, Guatemala, India, and other countries - to ship kids to the United States because it is profitable."

But some are standing up for Torry-Ann. says her decision to return Justin must have been a difficult one. "Overseas adoptions are an expensive, time-consuming and emotionally-charged process. Parents who go this route have usually exhausted all other avenues to have a child. Their commitment to parenthood is sincere. Sending a long-desired child away would be an almost unthinkable act - something no mother would ever do unless, as Ms. Hansen claims, she feared for the life of herself and her other family members."

And Anita, who , speaks of his attachment issues and her problems bonding with him.

And it seems her situation isn't unique. There is a in Montana especially for adopted children who are at risk of being given up.

Is it ok to give up your adopted child?

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