Ukraine Will Not Allow Adoption Proposed by Elton John{\}
09/20/2009 | stryjko_bojko
September 14, 2009, 2:32 pm
Ukraine Will Not Allow Adoption Proposed by Elton John
By Dave Itzkoff
Elton John
The government of Ukraine said Monday that Elton John cannot adopt a child from that country because he is too old and is not married, The Associated Press reported.
On a tour Saturday of a Ukrainian orphanage, Mr. John, 62, said that he and his partner, David Furnish, who made their relationship official in 2005 under Britain’s civil partnership law, wanted to adopt a child named Lev, who is 14 months old and is HIV-positive. “I don’t know how we do that, but he has stolen my heart,” Mr. John said, according to The A.P. “And he has stolen David’s heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home.”
But Yuriy Pavlenko, who is Ukraine’s minister for family, youth and sports, said that the adoption could not be permitted.
“Elton John will not be able to adopt a Ukrainian child and if he files that request we will unfortunately deny it,” Mr. Pavlenko told The A.P. “The law is the same for everybody: for a president, for a minister, for Elton John.”
Ukraine Will Not Allow Adoption Proposed by Elton John
By Dave Itzkoff
Elton John
The government of Ukraine said Monday that Elton John cannot adopt a child from that country because he is too old and is not married, The Associated Press reported.
On a tour Saturday of a Ukrainian orphanage, Mr. John, 62, said that he and his partner, David Furnish, who made their relationship official in 2005 under Britain’s civil partnership law, wanted to adopt a child named Lev, who is 14 months old and is HIV-positive. “I don’t know how we do that, but he has stolen my heart,” Mr. John said, according to The A.P. “And he has stolen David’s heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home.”
But Yuriy Pavlenko, who is Ukraine’s minister for family, youth and sports, said that the adoption could not be permitted.
“Elton John will not be able to adopt a Ukrainian child and if he files that request we will unfortunately deny it,” Mr. Pavlenko told The A.P. “The law is the same for everybody: for a president, for a minister, for Elton John.”