A U.S. court in Pennsylvania will announce a sentence on Friday for Michael and Nannette Craver who were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of their adopted son from Russia on September 17.
The seven-year-old boy, Nathaniel Craver (Vanya Skorobogatov), died in August 2009 at a hospital in Pennsylvania. Doctors said the boy died of injuries and malnutrition. They discovered more than 80 injuries on his body, including 20 on his head.
The Cravers were arrested in February 2010 and denied all the charges brought against them, saying the boy suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and attachment disorders. The couple's defense said his injuries were self-inflicted.
Before the jury announced its decision in September, prosecutors had demanded the death penalty for premeditated murder. Now they are seeking a 20-year sentence for the couple who was released on $50,000 bail each in September.
Under Pennsylvania state law, involuntary manslaughter carries a 9- to 16-month prison term.
“If they are freed, it will be a huge mistake on behalf of American justice, and it is terrible that they have been released on bail,” he said. “These decisions of the court discredit the idea of a child’s life and its value.”
The Cravers also adopted the boy’s twin sister Elizabeth (Dasha) who is now living with a Craver relative.
Since 1991, a total of 17 adopted Russian children have died worldwide as a result of beatings or negligence, according to official Russian statistics.
Russia also has a serious domestic child abuse problem, with some 2,000 children killed every year.
