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A US COUPLE have been found guilty of the death of their adopted seven-year-old son, who died of head injuries two years ago.
Nanette and Michael Craver, from Pennsylvania, were found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of their son, Nathaniel, who died in August 2009. An autopsy report concluded that Nathaniel had died from repeated blows to the head.
The Cravers adopted twins Nathaniel and Elizabeth from a Russian orphanage in 2003. Nathaniel suffered from foetal alcohol syndrome and attachment disorders and, the Cravers claim, continually self-harmed because of his psychiatric disorder.
On the morning of 20 August 2009, the Cravers brought Nathaniel to hospital, saying he had run head-first into a stove the night before. They said the boy had seemed fine when they put him to bed but was unresponsive when they checked on him in the early hours of the morning.
Nathaniel died five days later of a subdural haematoma, never having regained consciousness.
An autopsy report outlined a wide range of injuries on Nathaniel’s body, and also revealed evidence of malnutrition.
The Cravers were arrested over Nathaniel’s death in February 2010 and their daughter was taken into the care of a relative.
Throughout the trial, the couple’s legal team insisted that Nathaniel’s injuries were self-inflicted. However, the prosecution argued that Nathaniel had been chronically abused and sought a verdict of murder.
Tim Barker, York County’s chief deputy district attorney, told jurors: “Common sense tells you that he didn’t do this to himself. Common sense tells you that they did this to him… and they prevented him from getting medical care.”
The case has garnered much attention in Russia; the Russian authorities claim that at least 17 Russian children adopted by American parents have died in domestic-violence related situations, reports the BBC.
After it emerged that Nathaniel – who was originally named Ivan Skorobogatov - had retained his Russian citizenship, the country’s Investigation Committee filed criminal charges against the Cravers, reports Russia Today.
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Didn’t he sail the first leg of the journey on the Titanic to Cobh to take photos. He left a great legacy after him.
He did. Someone offered him a ticket onward to New York but his superior told him he needed to stay in Ireland.
Trench life really does look grim
Was there ever a TV documentary about him? A movie would be excellent.
The article says Nationwide have a program on tonight about him. Well worth catching it.
Seems he was a bit special alright. Go for it scriptwriters!
For those out there interested in such things – I also recommend the work of a Limerick-based German called Franz S. Haselbeck who worked the same time period. Not just interesting historical subjects but fine quality shots in their own right.
I love his story
A remarkable and brave man through keeping a photographic record of life and death in the trenches, but why is his photographs only coming to light now in documenting Irishmen in the war…..
They gave their today so that the flag could fly over Africa for another 50 years rather than the German eagle getting a piece.
So that tens of thousands could be beat, starved and shot every year by British and French men rather than Germans.
Lovely old war, it was.
Oddly enough if you go to Namibia,formerly South West Africa and a German possesion,Togo or the Cameroon.You will find plenty of German speaking natives who are all very proud of their ancestors serving the Kaiser.German is still the second langauge of Namibia and those who do, all have German citizenship too.Parts of it look like a German town was transplanted to Africa,and they brew a very good beer as well.Seeing as the Germans got in late for the old empire building game they didnt get too much experiance of beating burning and massacaring the natives like the old hands Britan and France.In fact the Germans got their asses handed to them by the Hereoes a few times in gureilla warfare out there.But by and large in their former colonies the Germans are still well liked and welcomed.Wonder how many other former imperialistic powers can claim that one?Ironicly I suppose Ireland might fit in there somplace?
There were black officers in the German African division, over seeing native Germans.
Plucky little Belgium was a genocidal state, to a degree that even shocked the British and French, themselves notorious for abusing and killing the natives.
This was an imperial spat, that is all it was. Dying for chandeliers in palaces and to keep blacks in chains.
John the colonial powers of France and Britain change the world . The industrial revolution transform many countries into economic powers . The benefits that came from it for many countries where enormous . The railways , modern medicine , education where all spread across the world . In 1840 it was estimated that 40 percent of the British army was made up of Irish men . They equally play a part in the creation of the British empire . They where there at Waterloo to defeat napoleon and bring the French empire to an end . They took part in the expansion of the British empire and they where there to defend its breakup in ww1.
There was a pretty nasty period of German rule in South West Africa around 1908 when they took fairly brutal measures against the locals that were up there with King Leopold’s running of the Congo.
I don’t think that’s forgotten in Namibia.
I have to agree with most of what you say here, but people who fought for what they believed in still deserve to be remembered with dignity.
Messenger Publications recently published a collection of Father Browne’s war photographs – Father Browne’s First World War. It is widely available in bookshops and online.
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