Sick

MOSCOW, Russia -- Police in a Russian city have discovered a grandmother allegedly trying to sell her five-year-old grandson for his organs.

Five-year-old Andrei was allegedly sold for $90,000 in an operation that stunned police in Ryazan, an hour's drive south of Moscow.

While illegal adoptions are nothing new in Russia, police were alarmed that those suspected of selling Andrei, who had been living at an orphanage, were his own grandmother and an uncle.

They were also shocked that he was bought for such a high price because he was sold for his organs -- kidneys, eyes, possibly the heart or the lungs. A police detective said: "Such a betrayal. We've never had a crime like it. It was hard to believe, listening to the conversations (on the surveillance tape).

"But there is an illegal market for organs, especially children's organs."

The uncle, a married butcher with two daughters, told police during his interrogation that he was pursuing a dream.

"I wanted to buy a house and a new car and some clothes. It was my dream. I wanted to leave him at the orphanage, but my mother was insisting that we could get $70,000 for organs."

The grandmother says she only wanted to have Andrei adopted Police said Andrei's grandmother Nina not only sold her grandson, she lied to her own son about the price, pocketing $20,000.

But she told police she was not selling her grandson but that she only wanted to have him adopted.

"We were supposed to meet a man to discuss adoption. I didn't get any money," she said.

If convicted, she may be imprisoned for three to ten years, the penalty in Russia's criminal code for selling children's organs.

Andrei is back at the orphanage, where attendants say, he misses his grandmother.

CNN's Steve Harrigan in Moscow says Russian police will not reveal who the prospective buyers of the child were, or who the buyers are in other cases.

He says police say only that the buyers in this and other cases are generally "westerners."

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

Answers

Russia actually has a penalty on record for selling chilren's organs??!!??

Peg - "sick" does not do this justice.......

Deano

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

The grandmother says she only wanted to have Andrei adopted Police said Andrei's grandmother Nina not only sold her grandson, she lied to her own son about the price, pocketing $20,000.

!!!

He says police say only that the buyers in this and other cases are generally "westerners."

Not to take away from the tragedy of this story, but I feel an appeal for organ donation is in order here. People have to wait literally years for organs in this country due to low rates of donation. People, please remember that once you're dead, you can still help to save many lives.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

Deno,

the penalty in Russia's criminal code for selling children's organs.

Shouldn't it be a penalty for murder? Unless of course they only used one of his kidneys or the eyes. You can't live without lungs or a heart last time I checked.

This is a real stomach turner.

I hope with this publicity the little boy gets adopted and lives a loooong and happy life.

Tarzan...I agree whole-heartedly :)

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

Peg

What freaks me out is the fact that they have considered this could happen and then put a law on the books for it.

What REALLY FREAKS ME OUT is the fact that someone (a Grandma no less!!) has actually attempted it! Good Christ, how many have gotten away with it??!!??

One of the most bizzare stories I have ever read....

Deano

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

There used to be an old Russian folk story about Baba Yaga. She lived deep in the forest, in a house with chicken legs instead of a foundation. She would trick children into coming into her lair and then cook them in an enormous pot. Once they were cooked, she would eat them and feed the bones to her house.

Maybe Baba Yaga wasn't such a myth after all...

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

Andrei is back at the orphanage, where attendants say, he misses his grandmother.

Everything is God. God is Love. Everything is love.

Anything else is an illusion, and is not real.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

Think about it --

First stage: "abortion is OK".

Second stage: "partial-birth abortion is OK".

Third stage: "harvesting stem cells from aborted fetuses is OK".

Then: "killing children for organs is OK".

It all boils down to disregard for life.

There's no end to it; until there's an END TO IT.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2000