USA (MNN) — She was 3 years old. Her name: Nina Victoria Hilt. She was adopted from Irkutsk, Russia by an American family from the state of North Carolina. However, the story becomes a nightmare as the girl’s mother was charged last week with 2nd degree murder in Nina’s death.
This isn’t the first such case. Since 1996, at least 12 Russian children have died at the hands of their abusive parents. These cases have been widely covered throughout Russia and the latest case has Russian officials so concerned that they’re demanding a complete investigation. Many adoption agencies are wondering what the future holds for Russian adoptions.
Buckner Orphan Care International is an accredited adoption agency working in Russia. Bucker’s Tiffany Taylor says, “We are just really prayerful that the Russian government knows that the majority of children that are adopted into homes here in America are loved and cherished by their families.”
Many involved in international adoptions are concerned that Russian adoptions will end or be curtailed. Taylor says, “As a Christian agency our goal is to place children into loving Christian homes where they’re going to grow up and learn about their heavenly father and develop a relationship with Jesus and it would be just a tragedy for adoptions to stop for that very reason.”
It’s reported that there are more than 700,000 orphans in Russia. Taylor says adoption revenue helps fund many orphanages within the country. “To have more children in those orphanages because they’re not being adopted is going to put a strain on the system. Adoptive families bring in much needed medical supplies (and) money for construction projects. They system right now is a benefit to those children left behind, too.”
Pray for families currently waiting for their adoptive children. Pray that they’ll have peace and that these adoptions will be allowed to take place despite the tragedy.
