MOSCOW, July 22 (RAPSI) - An Italian court has confirmed the arrest of a local resident in the murder of a Russian boy he adopted, Russian presidential ombudsman for children’s rights Pavel Astakhov announced.

“A court in Abruzzo upheld the arrest of and charges against Massimo Maravalle who allegedly killed his five-year-old adoptive son, a native Russian,” Astakhov wrote on his Instagram account.

He also added that an Italian psychiatrist testified that Maravalle had been his patient since 2006 due to a mental disorder. Astakhov says an investigation will be conducted into how the accused murderer passed an examination and succeeded in hiding his illness while adopting the boy from Russia.

According to media reports, the five-year-old boy from Blagoveshchensk, Russia, who had been adopted by an Italian family, was found dead, presumably strangled by his adoptive father. Pescara police arrested Maravalle, 47, on July 18. The murder could have been a result of the man’s mental disorder.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on negligence in the adoption procedure. The adoption of the boy was authorized by the Amur Regional Court. He was registered at the Italian consulate as a Russian citizen.

The Russian embassy in Italy is closely monitoring the issue. The Russian Consulate sent an official note to the Chairman of the Commission for International Adoptions at the Italian Council of Ministers requesting a thorough investigation into the incident. Astakhov also approached Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to personally oversee the investigation.