MOSCOW, April 4 - RAPSI. Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov has confirmed the media reports that Michael and Penny Deckert have given up their parental rights to their three adopted Russian Children.

The couple has officially given up their adopted children, and will be required to pay alimony, he said. Astakhov doubts, however, that the three teenagers will be able to return to Russia.

Earlier the authorities in Texas announced that they were investigating a case of possible sexual abuse concerning one of the adopted girls, 16-year-old Anastasia.  The suspicions and accusations against the US couple have not been cleared, Astakhov said.  The court hearing will take place in April as scheduled.

Michael and Penny Deckert from Silsbee adopted three Russian siblings, Alexei, Anastasia and Svetlana Klimov, from an orphanage in the Perm region in January 2003.