Psych Clinic Releases Russian Activist
Monday, August 20, 2007 9:02 AM EDT
The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — A member of an opposition group led by the former chess champion Garry Kasparov was released Monday from a psychiatric clinic after being held against her will for 46 days, a spokeswoman for the group said.
Larisa Arap, 48, a member of Kasparov's group in the northern port city of Murmansk, was forcefully hospitalized July 5 in what opposition activists said was revenge for exposing alleged abuse of children in a local psychiatric hospital.
Her case was taken up by human rights defenders, who saw in it echoes of the Soviet-era practice of locking up dissidents in psychiatric hospitals.
Arap was released Monday from a psychiatric hospital in Apatit, a city 180 miles from Murmansk, and was picked up by her husband, said Marina Litvinovich, a spokeswoman for Kasparov's United Civil Front. Arap was moved to the hospital farther from her home in late July.
Arap's release came after a commission, sent by human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin to look into her case, said it found no reason for her forced hospitalization.
Her family had appealed her detention in court, but the request for her release was denied.
Arap was bundled into an ambulance on July 5 after visiting a doctor to secure documents attesting to her mental health as required by Russian law in order to receive a new driver's license.
When the doctor realized she was the one who had criticized conditions at the psychiatric hospital in an article published in an opposition newspaper, the doctor called the police, according to her daughter, Taisiya Arap.
Other members of Kasparov's group, including Kasparov, have been detained by the police, but Litvinovich said Larisa Arap was the first to be held in a psychiatric clinic.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Human Rights Watch
Here are a couple excerpts from the HRW done in Russian orphanages in 1998. The whole thing is interesting but I'm posting just a bit.
"Type 2: Worst prospects for a child abandoned at birth and disabled
A baby born with physical or mental disabilities in Russia faces the worst prospects if he or she is abandoned at birth. Some of them have only physical disabilities, or minor mental retardation and could learn to walk and talk, read and write. Among these are children with mild Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and correctable conditions such as club foot and cleft palate.
Numerous parents are routinely pressured at the maternity ward to give up such infants.32 After initial observation they are transferred to baby houses where the children classified with severe physical and mental disabilities are segregated into lying-down rooms. Confined to cribs, staring at the ceiling, these babies are fed and changed, but they are deprived of one-to-one attention and sensory stimulation and are not encouraged to walk or talk. However tentative their diagnosis of retardation was at birth, particularly for those who have only physical disabilities, it becomes self-fulfilling by the age of four.33
In the worst case, these babies fail the diagnostic evaluation of the Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commission at the age of four and are handed over to the Labor and Social Development Ministry. There they are interned in closed internaty for imbetsily and idioty, where there is little more than a perfunctory classroom to keep some of the children busy for a few hours a week.
The bedridden children from the baby houses are again confined to cots in lying-down rooms, often laid out on bare rubber mattress covers, unclothed fromthe waist down and incontinent, as we witnessed in one internat and heard in credible reports from volunteers working in many state institutions.34
Human Rights Watch saw children who were considered “too active” or “too difficult” being confined to dark or barren rooms with barely a place to sit. The staff tethered them by a limb if they believed they might try to escape, and restrained others in makeshift straitjackets made of dingy cotton sacks pulled over the torso and drawn at the waist and neck.35
Children with Down syndrome and other hereditary conditions are regularly passed over for corrective-heart surgery that is routine in the West, based on a long-held bias against spending medical resources on children judged as "socially useless."36
The orphans who survive to the age of eighteen move on to an adult internat, again removed from public view. Some, however, are housed in huge centers with hundreds of handicapped people across the age spectrum and where older inmates feed and care for younger or more disabled ones.
Variations on these cases
There are scores of variations on the two types of journeys followed by Russian orphans. For instance, some children are abandoned after living several years at home. As one baby house director told Human Rights Watch, this can occur in the case of severe disability, when a family struggles for a while to raise their child themselves:
If the mother decides to keep the child, after three years, maybe, she loses her job. The state subsdidies are minimal. The man might leave her. While the child weighs under twenty-two pounds, she can carry him. But then the baby grows, more care is needed and she has less money, and her physical and moral strength is getting weaker. We know instances where those cases will be found locked in a dark room in an apartment, because the mother had to goto work to feed her children, because the monthly pension for having a disabled child is really miserable—200,000 rubles (U.S. $30).37
Not all variations are so bleak. Volunteers and child development specialists in Russia told us about an increasing number of children who are being kept an extra year or two in the baby houses in order to improve their chances of passing the commission evaluation and avoid banishment to a psychoneurological internat. In addition, not all the children in baby houses are neglected equally, as certain children have winning personalities or attractive characteristics that encourage the staff to devote more attention to them.38
Finally, all children have their individual constitutions, which miraculously navigate some of them through the harshest circumstances, and help them not only to survive, but thrive.
[**This one really hit home. It is so true!!**:]
Reminiscent of the peculiar practice in Romanian orphanages to display newly acquired developmental toys in places only accessible to the staff, the staff of the Moscow baby house called our attention to their bright array of Montessori toys stacked in the glass cabinet just inside the play room. They stopped our tour briefly to demonstrate how the toys worked, and then put them back and closed the cabinet door."
There is so much more but I can't put it all here. I encourage you to go to the website and read the report. This needs to become more widespread and people need to be aware!! http://hrw.org/reports98/russia2/Russ98d-03.htm#P483_60775
"Type 2: Worst prospects for a child abandoned at birth and disabled
A baby born with physical or mental disabilities in Russia faces the worst prospects if he or she is abandoned at birth. Some of them have only physical disabilities, or minor mental retardation and could learn to walk and talk, read and write. Among these are children with mild Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and correctable conditions such as club foot and cleft palate.
Numerous parents are routinely pressured at the maternity ward to give up such infants.32 After initial observation they are transferred to baby houses where the children classified with severe physical and mental disabilities are segregated into lying-down rooms. Confined to cribs, staring at the ceiling, these babies are fed and changed, but they are deprived of one-to-one attention and sensory stimulation and are not encouraged to walk or talk. However tentative their diagnosis of retardation was at birth, particularly for those who have only physical disabilities, it becomes self-fulfilling by the age of four.33
In the worst case, these babies fail the diagnostic evaluation of the Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commission at the age of four and are handed over to the Labor and Social Development Ministry. There they are interned in closed internaty for imbetsily and idioty, where there is little more than a perfunctory classroom to keep some of the children busy for a few hours a week.
The bedridden children from the baby houses are again confined to cots in lying-down rooms, often laid out on bare rubber mattress covers, unclothed fromthe waist down and incontinent, as we witnessed in one internat and heard in credible reports from volunteers working in many state institutions.34
Human Rights Watch saw children who were considered “too active” or “too difficult” being confined to dark or barren rooms with barely a place to sit. The staff tethered them by a limb if they believed they might try to escape, and restrained others in makeshift straitjackets made of dingy cotton sacks pulled over the torso and drawn at the waist and neck.35
Children with Down syndrome and other hereditary conditions are regularly passed over for corrective-heart surgery that is routine in the West, based on a long-held bias against spending medical resources on children judged as "socially useless."36
The orphans who survive to the age of eighteen move on to an adult internat, again removed from public view. Some, however, are housed in huge centers with hundreds of handicapped people across the age spectrum and where older inmates feed and care for younger or more disabled ones.
Variations on these cases
There are scores of variations on the two types of journeys followed by Russian orphans. For instance, some children are abandoned after living several years at home. As one baby house director told Human Rights Watch, this can occur in the case of severe disability, when a family struggles for a while to raise their child themselves:
If the mother decides to keep the child, after three years, maybe, she loses her job. The state subsdidies are minimal. The man might leave her. While the child weighs under twenty-two pounds, she can carry him. But then the baby grows, more care is needed and she has less money, and her physical and moral strength is getting weaker. We know instances where those cases will be found locked in a dark room in an apartment, because the mother had to goto work to feed her children, because the monthly pension for having a disabled child is really miserable—200,000 rubles (U.S. $30).37
Not all variations are so bleak. Volunteers and child development specialists in Russia told us about an increasing number of children who are being kept an extra year or two in the baby houses in order to improve their chances of passing the commission evaluation and avoid banishment to a psychoneurological internat. In addition, not all the children in baby houses are neglected equally, as certain children have winning personalities or attractive characteristics that encourage the staff to devote more attention to them.38
Finally, all children have their individual constitutions, which miraculously navigate some of them through the harshest circumstances, and help them not only to survive, but thrive.
[**This one really hit home. It is so true!!**:]
Reminiscent of the peculiar practice in Romanian orphanages to display newly acquired developmental toys in places only accessible to the staff, the staff of the Moscow baby house called our attention to their bright array of Montessori toys stacked in the glass cabinet just inside the play room. They stopped our tour briefly to demonstrate how the toys worked, and then put them back and closed the cabinet door."
There is so much more but I can't put it all here. I encourage you to go to the website and read the report. This needs to become more widespread and people need to be aware!! http://hrw.org/reports98/russia2/Russ98d-03.htm#P483_60775
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Update
Yay! I was just informed that in October there is a occupational therapist and nurse who are going to the orphanage. They are going to videotape the kids so evaluations can be done! I was going to put the money I fundraised towards getting Christina a real evaluation, but now that is taken care of. I was told she would be put on the list of children to definitely get evaluated since I asked! I will get the results after that and put the money (just over $2000) into whatever operations the orphanage will allow. If they say she has a heart problem (most of the children have "heart problems" which justify the doctors from letting them do anything: having operations, going outside, laughing/getting too excited etc.) then they might not allow anything to be done. If the money is not enough I'm going to keep on fundraising until we have enough to cover anything they'll let us do!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
More pictures
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012375&l=229f1&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012374&l=0b0a5&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012373&l=69efc&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012372&l=907a4&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012369&l=fbffb&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012370&l=df1c4&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012374&l=0b0a5&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012373&l=69efc&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012372&l=907a4&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012369&l=fbffb&id=68201346
http://okcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012370&l=df1c4&id=68201346
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Durock
Something that REALLY bothered me was how the caretakers seemed to think the children were vegetables. If the workers who are supposed to be helping them think they aren’t capable of anything that’s just what they’ll be capable of. One lady who talked to me a lot once pointed to a child on a bed and said “Ona durock” (she is a fool/idiot). I gasped because that is not a nice word and she was overjoyed that I understood what she said. She proceeded to point to each child in the room and tell me who was durock and who wasn’t. Most of the children were. I know some of the children who she gave that title are capable of thinking and feeling because I’ve worked with them. Myra and Anthony, if you’re reading this, both Irina and Vanya were called durock. She said something about Irina’s head being unable to think and then said Vanya could only respond to emotions. It’s true that Vanya loves funny things and laughing, but that doesn’t mean that’s *all* he’s capable of. It really disturbed me and I wish I could speak more Russian so I could’ve given her a piece of my mind.
Well, our Russia trip is now all over. The last week and a
half was probably the best there. Somehow Maria and I were
able to break through the ice with the caretakers and many
of them loved us by the end. They would ask us to come and
play with the kids, take them on walks etc. Once they even
brought a few kids to us to paint/play with! That would
have NEVER happened at the beginning. One day we had four
children we were working with at the same time. Usually we
were only allowed one because they get the blame if
anything happens while they're in our care.
In Christina's group the caretakers got to know me
very well and let me do whatever I wanted within reason.
They would speak very slowly to me in Russian so I could
understand (and I usually did!!!) and play charades when I
didn't. I think they found me to be some form of entertainment
because when I came into their group they would flock
around me and talk incessantly. They would clap whenever I
spoke in Russian and constantly were telling me what a
kind and beautiful girl I was. I wish this transformation
could have happened a few weeks earlier.
A couple days before we left they had a little
presentation (they have them a few times a year). All the groups
who could "go" (are able to either walk or roll their own
wheelchair) performed little songs/dances for the other
groups. All of the teachers were given a box of chocolates
and I played Russian folk songs on the violin. It was a
really fun time. Right when I thought it was over I
heard our Russian names "Nadia and Masha" and I noticed a
worker was calling us to come to the front of the room.
She then told the audience how great we were and went on
and on about what we have been doing. We each got a big box of chocolates and little Russian souvenirs.
I thought it was going to be very difficult to say
goodbye to Christina, but the best thing happened on the
last day. I was walking towards her group to take her on a
walk when I saw a lady pushing a stroller with Christina
in it! I went to her and talked with the lady. She spoke
no English but I was able to understand enough.
She was the grandma and had come to visit Christina! I was told her family visits her about once a year and I happened to be there when she did!! I really love the
grandma. Once we were back in the group she fed Christina
strawberries, cherries, and peaches instead of the nasty soup stuff she hates. When the doctor came in she told the
grandma to stop feeding her the fruit and got mad at her,
I was afraid because the doctor is an all-powerful woman.
However that grandma stood up and started yelling right back at her! When the doctor left the she made faces at her back and kept on feeding the fruit. The next time the doctor came back she was nice and said nothing about the fruit.
The grandma then danced with C. She had me play my
cellphone music and bounced her up and down. She laughed and laughed because she loves any movement. Many of the children's limbs have hardened from never moving so when they get to feel like they're moving they absolutely love
it. I said goodbye to Christina when the grandma put
her down for her nap and that was it. I felt so much
better about leaving knowing that somebody else cared
about her. I believe the grandma lives far away but at
least she seemed to care. She told me C. is her son's
daughter and her only grandchild. I asked about her spine
because I still can't figure out what exactly is wrong
with it. She said something in Russian but all I could
understand is her spine is bad and something is wrong with
her head too. I'm going to see if I can have a real doctor evaluate her with the money I fundraised.
half was probably the best there. Somehow Maria and I were
able to break through the ice with the caretakers and many
of them loved us by the end. They would ask us to come and
play with the kids, take them on walks etc. Once they even
brought a few kids to us to paint/play with! That would
have NEVER happened at the beginning. One day we had four
children we were working with at the same time. Usually we
were only allowed one because they get the blame if
anything happens while they're in our care.
In Christina's group the caretakers got to know me
very well and let me do whatever I wanted within reason.
They would speak very slowly to me in Russian so I could
understand (and I usually did!!!) and play charades when I
didn't. I think they found me to be some form of entertainment
because when I came into their group they would flock
around me and talk incessantly. They would clap whenever I
spoke in Russian and constantly were telling me what a
kind and beautiful girl I was. I wish this transformation
could have happened a few weeks earlier.
A couple days before we left they had a little
presentation (they have them a few times a year). All the groups
who could "go" (are able to either walk or roll their own
wheelchair) performed little songs/dances for the other
groups. All of the teachers were given a box of chocolates
and I played Russian folk songs on the violin. It was a
really fun time. Right when I thought it was over I
heard our Russian names "Nadia and Masha" and I noticed a
worker was calling us to come to the front of the room.
She then told the audience how great we were and went on
and on about what we have been doing. We each got a big box of chocolates and little Russian souvenirs.
I thought it was going to be very difficult to say
goodbye to Christina, but the best thing happened on the
last day. I was walking towards her group to take her on a
walk when I saw a lady pushing a stroller with Christina
in it! I went to her and talked with the lady. She spoke
no English but I was able to understand enough.
She was the grandma and had come to visit Christina! I was told her family visits her about once a year and I happened to be there when she did!! I really love the
grandma. Once we were back in the group she fed Christina
strawberries, cherries, and peaches instead of the nasty soup stuff she hates. When the doctor came in she told the
grandma to stop feeding her the fruit and got mad at her,
I was afraid because the doctor is an all-powerful woman.
However that grandma stood up and started yelling right back at her! When the doctor left the she made faces at her back and kept on feeding the fruit. The next time the doctor came back she was nice and said nothing about the fruit.
The grandma then danced with C. She had me play my
cellphone music and bounced her up and down. She laughed and laughed because she loves any movement. Many of the children's limbs have hardened from never moving so when they get to feel like they're moving they absolutely love
it. I said goodbye to Christina when the grandma put
her down for her nap and that was it. I felt so much
better about leaving knowing that somebody else cared
about her. I believe the grandma lives far away but at
least she seemed to care. She told me C. is her son's
daughter and her only grandchild. I asked about her spine
because I still can't figure out what exactly is wrong
with it. She said something in Russian but all I could
understand is her spine is bad and something is wrong with
her head too. I'm going to see if I can have a real doctor evaluate her with the money I fundraised.
Friday, June 22, 2007
P.S.
I forgot to mention that the scary guard at the orphanage was fired! Mary and Sergei found out about what happened to me and they took care of things. It's terrible that it had to happen, but I feel so much better now. I was so scared to go to and from the orphanage every day when I knew he might be there. Thank you Mary and Sergei!!
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