Comments and experiences from our readers
No facebook profiling here !!
This section enables our readers to view comments of others regarding the content of this website or their own experience in Cambodia.
Particulary we are interested in what People, that have been wrongfully accused of child molestation or child abuse in Cambodia have to say.
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We also encourage those that have or still work for NGO's in the Child Protection Industry to come forward with their stories they have experienced regarding irregularities, abuse,lies and entrapments made by their NGO and the misuse of funds.
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See comments of our readers :
An Italian national that has spent several years in Cambodia on the Coast and in the Capital with detailed inside information regarding italian NGO's operating in Cambodia has this to say:
Re: Francesco Caruso - Mlop Tapang - ADM - Village Focus - aiutare bambini
It Seems that some Italian – manipulating false information about pedophiles – found the
easy way to make business on Cambodian children.(Adoptions)
The Cambodians are unaware of the manner in which their country is described in Italy. No one understands the Italian language, therefore no one protest.
Italians also don`t know anything about Cambodia.
If the Cambodian Information Ministry could be informed, should object it…
It is not any more a simply foreign affair to ignore.
The defamation influencing the tourist, damage the reputation and the dignity of Cambodia all.
Between Italy and Cambodia there are no commercial or economic interests or cultural exchanges. There is no embassy or diplomatic presence.
But Italy is the only state in 2010 that do international adoptions in Cambodia now.Adoptions to Italy, USA
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Remark from your Webmaster:Adoptions are like a two sided knife. Adopting a child from another part of the world with different culture, religion, eating habbits etc. makes it particulary difficult for any child. It's best for the kids to stay in the country or at least in their cultural enviroment. But than one has to reckognize that there is a lot of Money involved because the kids are litterally "sold". An interesting article appeared in Dec. 2012 about the situation in Russia: Russia stops Adoptions to the US
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Because foster corruption, have been prohibited by other states.
Last June in Phnom Penh, Deputy Minister Mr. Carlo Giovanardi, signed a new agreement, with the Cambodian Minister of Social Affair Mr. Ith Sam Heng, about make adoptions easy for eight Italians NGOs.
http://www.aibi.it/ita/concluso-il-progetto-cai-lon-carlo-giovanardi-arriva-in-cambogia/
The interests between the two countries are:
- donations and humanitarian aid - sometimes only gifts – even at political level: bilateral meetings financed by the state or by NGOs – with public money.
- long distance adoptions. People from various places around the world, created this business in internet… Easy with a right words and good website!
Sometimes the money for which there is oversight which ends up in the wrong hands.
A lot of false information that encourage families to became liar and miserable just to get an advantage from their children.
Those Cambodian directly involved with such NGOs only notice the reality directly linked to their actions, often to draw a profit from it.
It is good that money come to Cambodia.
But there are different way to get it.
Honestly. Not from lie!
Not spreading prejudices between Cambodian about foreigners (the psychosis about every foreigner could be dangerous for children) or between foreigners too (even a grandfather with a niece is looking with suspicious in this era).
Please, don`t think that because some NGO use the money also for help the poor people, they are justify to collect its in every way.
Criminals that spread and manipulated false information about pedophiles – this is the only way to address those generating damages Cambodia – are free to say whatever they want.
They openly criticize the Cambodian Society and Institutions, the police and even the Prime Minister.
In any event often those who write, live outside Cambodia in some richer country (where they get the money for???); often hiding in the shadow, behind an NGO names.
The donation are used in Cambodia, to buy everything without control, even people.
A new kind of Economy started here.
Fortunately many NGOs in Cambodia are good – even some Italians. (comment from your webmaster: which one's are good ?)
Please don`t let the blame that some NGOs will attract with their dishonest behaviour (we hope the scandal will start soon), to cover the majority of NGOs that work well.
Why others NGOs - from more serious countries or with other targets – don`t follow the “Italian way to make money”?
The “mind” of the Cambodia slander – about the false informations in Italy – is Mr Caruso Francesco, originally from Torino.
From Hong Kong where he lives and apparently bought a house, for many years he devise campaigns for long distance adoptions and fights against tourist child sex, denouncing alarming abuses on the Cambodian children.
His foundation, “www.aiutareibambini.com” (translate by “helpthechildren”. Somehow linked with “Save the Children” and a complex umbrella of NGOs, as well as APLE and Child Safe in Cambodia – whom more likely are not aware of the lies he tells, or pretend not to know – is connected with Sihanoukville based NGO, Mlop Tapang. On the internet he boasts being one of its founders in 2003 – together with an Irish Lady (Maggie Eno) and some Cambodians. (Mlop Tapang receives several million USD in Donations each year)
With the help of complacent journalists – some unknown professional, other being second level reporters for important newspapers or Tvs, relatives, friends, friends of friends, photographers, educators or virtual individuals (like in certain blogs, where the same person posts both questions and answers) – he spreads misinformation on Cambodia and Sihanoukville.
He is free to write whatever he wants – internet is a huge trash bin like no other.
Only in Italian language he is so aggressive. In English he does not write the same.
The NGO Mlop Tapang in their articles – in English, dozens posted on the internet – use different language to put their message across. They speak of education, schooling, projects.
What is serious is that in Italy somebody listen and believe him, sometimes giving him visibility and credibility, allowing him to make his profit (in September-October or under Christmas, when donations increase) and therefore to create more damage and prejudices to Cambodia.
He does not visit Cambodia, the country he speaks much about, that often; only few days in a year, when he has to give interviews with journalists.
“He takes care of the financial issues” they say of him at NGO Mlop Tapang in Sihanoukville.
In other words he is the “bank”, transferring money – made from false alarming and fake information – from Hong Kong to Sihanoukville.
Be assured that when funds are collected improperly, they will end up being used also in an improper manner by those here self appointed “champions of justice” who understand “morality” in the same way.
At NGO Mlop Tapang they received and spent a lot of Italian donations.
Money has no smell or color!
Responsibilities fall upon many individuals:
- those that profit from the situation, either directly or indirectly or secretly;
- the journalists, whom are paid to prepare certain scandalous media reports and cannot oppose to it as they are sent to Cambodia – and well treated when there – to “help the cause”;
- those impressed by all such prejudices, whom superficially listen only to one voice and do not further look into the reality of Cambodia – it will be sufficient to move away a few meters from the tourist areas – and thinking to do good, spread those information and unknowingly become a cog in the machine;
- those that keep quiet for fear or lack of interest.
A real example of trash journalism appeared on the Italian magazine “Panorama” on 9 December 2010, at page 162.
(http://www.aiutareibambini.com/download/Eventi/Panorama_3_12_10_Cambogia.pdf).
They want this to appear as news, but it is only damaging propaganda!
The article entitled “The hunter of ogres”, sounds like it was written directly by Mr Caruso.
Stella Pende – who signs the article for the magazine – maybe when she came in Sihanoukville, spent only few hours in the five stars hotel and in the NGO, only.
Here is a short portion (but all of it is false and incorrect):
- Francesco accompanies us with a tuk-tuk through the monsters’ favorite itinerary: the street where children are begging, the bar for tourists, the benches on the seaside. This is the map of infamy. The last stop in a gas station where, just a few days ago, an Italian was arrested: he hid there with 3 very small female children. One of them, though, managed to run away screaming “call immediately the Italian man”… “he is the one who save the children and is called Child Safe”… (all translate from Italian language)
Lies ! Misleading, incomplete and manipulated data.
Let me say:
- the arrest of an Italian (Fabio Cencini) at the gas station occurred exactly on 4 March 2008 – two years, nine months and five days before the article. Not “just a few days ago”.
Old news! From Italy those moral detractors have been telling stories since this fact.(http://www.repubblica.it/2007/12/sezioni/esteri/pedofilia-indagine-germania/italiano-arrestato-cambogia/italiano-arrestato-cambogia.html);
- in Sihanoukville there is no street where children usual beg for money. Only in the main beach sometimes happen, where the tourist are; they often go around to collect rubbish or sell goods, and disturb foreigner,
maybe because they are sent, control and protected by adult and some NGOs;
- at the bar for tourists there are no children (the owner, a foreigner, will have problems with the Police otherwise).
Don`t worry; somebody could send them when the journalists come;
- the benches near the beach (there is no seaside) are not the itinerary favorite by the monsters, but just a normal place close to the beach; many adult are around all the time;
- nearby the CALTEX gas station (one of the two in the town centre) there are poor families who send their children to beg. Adults supervise and control them. The female children in question (you can see their picture on the internet although their face has been covered) were there until few months ago, looking for “troubles”;
- the “Italian man called Child Safe” lives in Hong Kong and not in Sihanoukville. Not one child know him?
- www.aiutareibambini.com (of Mr. Caruso Francesco, Mlop Tapang and who knows how many other NGOs names) received 2 million euro donations – share with some other friends of children – from “Mediafriends” (non profit organization established by R.T.I. S.p.A., Mondadori S.p.A e Medusa S.p.A. belonged to Italian Prime Minister Mr Silvio
Berlusconi Berlusconi). Mondadori owns the media magazine Panorama.
- in 2010 (up to December) the number of foreigners arrested for abuses over children in Cambodia – 181.000 square kms, 15.000.000 inhabitants, 2.000.000 tourists – was 17 and not the false and exaggerate number that the article report.
See also “Le Iene” guests of Cifa NGO. Another example of italian-lies propaganda.
(http://www.video.mediaset.it/video/iene/puntata/105357/pelazza-pedofilia-in-cambogia.html)
It is appropriate to report about pedophilia, but not to exaggerate the tones – although many normal people refuse to hear about it.
In case of suspicious it is necessary to adopt a conscious and responsible attitude and inform the Police, and not Caruso.
Cambodia means humanitarian help, donations and NGOs (non profit organizations).
Cambodia society is based upon the support model introduced by the UN (UNTAC) in 1992-94.
Since then, influx of foreign aid money increased every year.
Currently, half of the country budget is constituted of humanitarian aid…
China offer aid for make infrastructures; while the US introduced the new colonialism NGOs.
The public opinion is divided among those supporting and those rejecting this system – or perhaps from those who benefit from it and those who don’t.
Certainly the aid that come without work and worth, make people rich in a false prospective.
Brand new SUV like Lexus, Toyota and Range Rover, moto, computers, mobile phone, 5 stars hotels, luxurious restaurant, business class trips, waste of money, favors…
Poverty it’s a business!
Money keep flowing in!
A large chunk of this money stops at the top, but some manages to trickle down to those at the bottom.
The system is sick and impossible to understand in its complexity.
It is so complicated that it looks like it has been carefully designed and planned, embedded with its own defence mechanisms.
It generates corruption, dependency and social divisions.
It allows buying respect, consideration, protection and impunity.
Some individuals protected by a well defended and impenetrable system without oversight have found fertile soil to enrich themselves, creating the appearance of a respectable image -unfortunately what you do it is not really necessary, it is all about how people see you, if you have money and authority you will be venerated.
Part of the profit earned behind the back of poor people and of those helping you in good faith, sometime is being reinvested to generate additional profit: business activities, purchase of land or houses, all under the name of Cambodian families or companies.
The NGOs spread everywhere, in any sector.
They are the real “mafia”. The new owners.
They rule. They “buy” people and protection.
Recently a new law regulating their activities, their properties and their financing methods is being in the process to be approved. Finally! The NGO's fighting it and even get help from EU,US and UN to prevent it. Nobody wants transparency !
Foreigners manage them (intl. NGO's) quickly and easily move from an NGO to another.
Usually, they don’t mix with the local population or with those who do not share their environment.
Foreigners eat in the same restaurants, frequent the same places, shake the same hands, congratulate each others, sometime cooperate, sometime tolerate each other without entrenching.
The newcomers, volunteers but well paid, in order to integrate themselves in the system have to accept it.
Many Cambodians work in the more than 3.000 NGO disseminated over the Cambodian territory. Sometime they are entire families, long distance relative, neighbors…
Thousands and thousands work in the large NGO system or trying to work for it. There are no real alternatives,except sweatshops in the garment industry where people are exploited and overworked and mass faintings of work staff are a common phenomenon.
Working for an NGO is more looked for than a post in a bank… salary is higher.
Do not believe any more to the 50$ a month salary.
Some NGO pay 250$ a month plus other benefits, such as food, rent, moto, medicines, dentist, doctor, free of charge facilites, etc…
There are many honest individuals, of course!
Cambodia people are mostly good and honest.
They benefit only of few privileges, for themselves or for those whom they care for but possibly get corrupted by the unmoral enviroment of the NGO in the process, too.
To take advantage is normal, more or less according to opportunity and moral.
Stealing from aid money – destined to this goal – or from foreigners in general (because they have more money) is normal; it is seems as less serious – even before the law – that stealing from anyone else.
Those poor and miserable being helped by the NGOs often get as more as possible and learn how to say thanks and accept only those with the power; keep tender they hands, lying and cry for help.
Cause to the situation, some families always send they children to beg for money – only where the foreigners are.
It is the simplest thing to make a living.
Thanks to Italian donations, NGO Mlop Tapang in Sihanoukville has become the richest and most powerful NGO in the city. In order to keep that status they keep the campaign against western men beeing monsters alive through their campaigns.
They bought tens of motos, cars and trucks; hired more personnel (now 160 so called social workers); cooperate with tuk-tuk drivers and food sellers (that pretend to catch foreigner pedophiles looking around for all single white man with suspicious).
They have built a new headquarter a few years ago with donor funds – a sort of an army barrack with cctv cameras and sofisticated alarm; increased their advertisement campaign again pedophiles; increased the number of those they assist (not only street children); expanded area of operation, started new projects; new activities; bought houses, guesthouses and lands, bars,restaurant, tour operator, hair saloon and various shops.
They organized courses for anti-pedophile squads, monitoring the territory of the whole of the Sihanoukville County. Their vehicles can be seen all the way up to Phnom Penh. Every name and adress of a child is registered so it can be used to raise funds. (like : now we support xxxxx children.)
They foster suspicions, diversity, a mental block, racism and lack of interest for any different culture – the western one – and for human being.
Protected from indiscrete eyes, they spread their message to children and adults. Probably they taught – a sort of brain washing – that foreigners are dangerous, morally loose and sick, going with children.
Children easy repeat what some adult teach them to say…
(“C`era una volta – Il paese dell`orco cattivo” – other italian special scoop about pedophiles from RAI TV, guests also of Mr. Caruso in Mlop Tapang.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zOk83TiH-8
Quote:
Tens of staff, with motos and red t-shirts, drive up and down the town losing petrol, until sunset…..
With the dark they disappear. Or they go to bed -as everyone else here.
Everyday, yellow trucks pick up children – those who want to go – to take them to their headquarter to play. More often, they do a kind of school-bus service for children (from the Public School to all around Sihanoukville).
They look with diffidence towards those foreigners who have mixed with the locals.
They never talk with expatriates or turists.
Sihanoukville street children in Ochheuteal Beach (the main one), are probably the country worse mannered.
But even in Siem Reap (in the tourist area only, they follow more or less the same behaviour).
Thanks to an NGO?
The Child Safe workers with their blue t-shirt, are busy to talk at their hand-phones. In the tourist destination they stand in public place; often outside National Museums or nice hotels. In the night time they disappear.
They say that people are poor and they can`t do anything to stop them to beg.
At the main beach, children have learnt not to be afraid of foreigners – only when they are in a group and in public places – to lack respect and to exploit them.
With Cambodians, they are respectful and well mannered.
At the beach bars is a continuing come and go of dozens of children, trying to sell the same stuff but don`t sell anything.
Who is behind them? Who give them the goods? Is it an NGO or it is a kind of racket?.
Sometimes they steal things; always telling one lie after the other:
- they need money to pay their school.
Cambodian khmer schools are free – except for stationery. The government couple of years ago had arrested teachers asking for money from the students. NGOs also provide for free education;
- they are orphans. (the biggest lie of them all !!)
Often their parent or who take care are close by, sometimes only few meters outside the beach. They are talking, cooking and playing card, waiting for children to came back. After a change of clothes (dirty for who collecy plastic bottles) and different goods provided (from bracelets to flowers, to bracelets again; from fireworks to food) they sent children to work again.
More than one time, I sow a mother that beat a newborn bady for make him cry and then ask for “gnam-gnam” from tourist.
I saw children wear nice clothes to go to Pagodas and then changed for beggar.
I saw children from normal families, ask money from tourist like a game…
- they have no food.
No one dies of hunger in Sihanoukville.
- or for medications.
Khanta Bochea Hospitals, 4 in Cambodia, all set up by Swiss Doctor Beat Richner who has been involved for more than 40 years, provide for free medical care every hear to tens of thousends of children. Everybody in Cambodia, poor or rich, know it and in case, reach the Hospital from everywhere (free transpotation also).
But others NGOs never tell people about it.
In case, they could not ask for more money to open a new children Hospital…
- they need money to help their family.
Many children pay the mototaxi to go home. Many go around talking at hand-phone. Many play electronic games. Just like children everywhere…
Stop to lie!
Stop encouraging misery!
Must stop giving money to kids! Don`t buy anything from children.
Send them away from tourist area; everyone would like them to study and play…
At times the children sit close to you without disturbing; other times they make fun of the tourists…
If don’t keep them away they can even start touching people (it is normal among Cambodians – it is a demonstration of sympathy and affection or the way to get something…). (This is particular true at the Beaches of Sihanoukville where lots of times you can see kids jumping on the same sunbed as the tourists and pretend they just want to sleep next to a nice person ! - - The Childsafe Squad of Mlop Tapang with their mobile phones and cameras are never far and often take a shot as proof for child abuse in the making)
For NGOs, and for who has prejudices, it is equivocal behaviors…
Young girls with adult-like make-up propose massages and pedicure…
They are not guilty. They are sent there by the adults.
This is the system.
Some NGOs benefits with the publicity from this situation.
Only there, attention!
Just outside tourist areas – likewise in the rest of Cambodia – you cannot longer find children asking you for a dollar or telling lies.
They grow up with respect – for those older than them – following Khmer Culture.
Cambodia is in a moment of huge development, in every sense.
Many do useful things for Cambodia, each do their small part…
Almost everyone loves and respects children, not only those self-proclaimed “friends of the children”.
There are hundreds of serious NGO, from all around the world, that working for the welfare of children.
We wish that in the future, the Cambodian Government improve the education-system encouraging the children and their parents to attend to the ordinary institutions and school.
With the global world communication, lies are short legged. People get to know quickly.
There are about 2.000.000 millions tourist in Cambodia every year; 200.000 of which coming to Sihanoukville.
Cambodia is no longer a poor and miserable country, mysterious and dangerous as it has been painted.
They will tell you that “things are improving, much better than before, thanks to the “friends of the children”, but there is still a lot to do”.
They will increase their propaganda…
They will change their goals, they have already started doing it…
Someone will continue to speak of “foreigner pedophiles paradise” and “ogres” but others -perhaps belonging to the same network – will add to children with AIDS; children use for organ trafficking; drug addicted children; children collecting garbage; children smoking yaba; children who don’t go to school; children who drink sewage water; children that have no medicines; children dying of hunger; children living in shanty towns, children that play with dangerous fireworks, children…
Lies!
Please His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, do something to stop this false propaganda about Cambodia.
Please Mr Samdach Akkak Moha Sena Padey Dekjo Hun Sen, clean this shit.
Please journalists from everywhere, come in Cambodia to investigate and report about the real situation.
Please everybody, do something to stop this dirty business.
Help the children to became men and women, not beggars.
Prof. Bruno Mayer
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The next message came from an anonymous reader:
I suggest to put up a "WANTED" Billboard on the Web with a Mug Shot of Thierry Darnaudet and a reward of 10.000 $ for anyone that can deliver credible and verifyable proof that he himself abused children.
I would not be surprised if such proof turns up, soon.
This is exactly the same method used by APLE, so why should it not work in reverse ?
update from your Webmaster:
IN Dec. 2012 tpf-cambodia.com received several emails from France and was informed that a senior former employee of APLE supposedly was sexually abused at knifepoint by Thierry Darnaudet. The former employee also claimed that a young boy of 13 or 15 years was also abused. The former employee of APLE was seeking more evidence from other cases in order to prepare his court case against Thierry Darnaudet and APLE in France. Darnaudet threatened his former workmate that he would launch a defamation suit against him in Cambodia, if he did. At the end of the day this will be a case where money will decide who gets justice. tpf-cambodia.com is not in a position to verify any of these claims and has therefore withheld the documents and names. If true though, this will be just another case where a head of a Childprotection Organisation turnes out to be a Predator. Once more evidence is presented we will post the details here on tpf-cambodia.com
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Adoptions to Italy, USA
International Adoptions
extract from a US Embassy Phnom Penh Cable:(wikileaks)
On December 3, 2009, the RGC promulgated a new adoption law designed to bring Cambodia into compliance with the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption and address concerns surrounding trafficking of infants for foreign
adoption. A moratorium since 2001 on international adoption by some countries, including the United States, has largely curbed reports of adoption trafficking, though countries still processing adoptions in Cambodia continue to
report substantial fraud and irregularities in the small number of cases processed since then. The RGC is working with international PHNOM PENH 00000138 004 OF 019 organizations and other donors to establish transparent,
ethical, Hague-compliant adoption processes. As part of this effort, on January 19, 2010, the RGC suspended processing of all new adoptions until March 2011. E. Traffickers and Their Methods Traffickers are sometimes parents who
sell their child into debt bondage to serve as domestic help for other families, or into brothels. In several cases during the reporting period, police arrested immediate family members of victims, such as parents, aunts or uncles,
siblings, or grandparents. Due to poverty, lack of jobs, family problems and unequal access to educational opportunities, families may give their child to other relatives, who subsequently traffic the children unbeknownst to the
parents.
unquote
Comment from your Webmaster
Adoptions by foreigners inside Cambodia
Foreigners living in Cambodia had no problems adopting a child at any time. !! A number of foreign NGO Worker and for example Dutch restaurant and bar owner in Sihanoukville Pim's have had no problems adopting a cambodian child.
Update October 2012
October 2012
PHNOM PENH (Cambodia Herald) - Cambodia will allow foreigners to adopt local children from January, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Secretary of State Long Visalo said Monday.
"The government has set an annual quota of between 100 and 200 children below the age of eight to the United States and between 50 and 60 children to Italy," he said.
Long Visalo said the United States, Germany and Italy had already adopted about 4,000 to 5,000 Cambodian children.
Cambodia banned foreign adoptions in 2009 to better regulate the process and passed a law on international adoptions on December 3, 2009. The law cracks down on child trafficking and bans adoptions for profit, providing harsher penalties for lawbreakers, and requiring adoptions to be handled by authorized and trained officials.
Russia stops Adoptions to the US
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/27/putin-adoption-russian-children-us
Putin hints he will sign bill banning adoption of Russian children in US
Russian president says he sees 'no reason not to sign' bill named after boy who died after being adopted by Americans
Miriam Elder in Moscow
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 December 2012
Vladimir Putin has indicated he is likely to sign into law a bill that bans Americans from adopting Russian children.
The bill was proposed in response to the US's recent passing of a law that bans Russian officials implicated in the prison death of the lawyer Sergei Magnitsky from travelling to or keeping money in the US.
Russia's response has launched a storm of controversy both among Putin's critics, who have accused the government of holding children hostage to politics, and among some of his most loyal ministers.
The upper house of parliament passed the bill unanimously on Wednesday.
"So far I see no reason not to sign it," Putin said at a meeting of senior officials on Thursday, adding that he would "have to review the final text and weigh everything".
"I am ready to sign not only the law … but also a presidential decree that will modify the support mechanisms for orphaned children," he said.
The bill comes amid an increase in state-sponsored anti-foreigner propaganda. Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, said this week that Russian children adopted by foreigners would not be allowed into heaven.
Tens of thousands of children enter Russia's decrepit orphanage system every year. Around 60,000 children have been adopted by Americans in the past 20 years. Russian officials have spotlighted the 19 who have died, including Dima Yakovlev, a 21-month-old who was left to die in a sweltering car by his father, who was later acquitted of involuntary manslaughter. The Russian bill is named after the boy.
Putin has defended the law as a necessary response to the Magnitsky Act, which he has described as "anti-Russian" and having "nothing to do with officials". Magnitsky, a lawyer for the London-based investor William Browder, was arrested after investigating corruption by Russian tax and police officials, and died an excruciating death in 2009.
Relations between Moscow and Washington DC have plummeted since Putin announced his intention to return to the presidency last year. He has blamed the opposition against him inside Russia on a plot dreamed up by the US state department.
The opposition has slammed the law as "cannibalistic". The independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta gathered more than 100,000 signatures protesting against the law. Russia's foreign minister and education minister are among those Putin loyalists who have spoken out against its passing.
Yet Pavel Astakhov, Russia's child's rights ombudsman, urged Putin to extend the ban to other countries, saying: "There is huge money and questionable people involved in the semi-legal scheme of exporting children." He said the 46 children who were in the process of being adopted by Americans would stay in Russia once the bill came into effect.