Astakhov urges check into claims newborn daughter was taken away from Russian mother in New Zealand
MOSCOW. April 21 (Interfax) - Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov has urged the Russian Foreign Ministry to check reports that a breastfed infant has been taken away from a Russian family in New Zealand.
"A letter has been referred to the Russian foreign minister requesting checks into reports that a baby daughter was taken away from a Russian couple in New Zealand," Astakhov wrote on Twitter.
Similar letters have been sent to Russian Ambassador to New Zealand Valery Tereshchenko and Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key, he wrote.
"We must set things straight," he said.
Meanwhile, no officials confirmation has arrived that the baby girl has been taken away from the Russian family.
Astakhov wrote on Twitter later on Sunday that, "Victoria L., Russian citizen Polina L's daughter born six weeks ago, was taken away from her mother on April 19 by a child welfare service without producing any legal document."