IN - Couple charged with abandonment of adopted child after legally changing her age, Sept 2019 #2 *not guilty*

[j_in_c]

This is a very bizarre story out of Indiana. There are several MSM sources covering it today:

Excerpt from
Prosecutors: Couple abandons child in Lafayette, changes her age, flees to Canada

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — A couple has been charged in a years-long investigation, accused of abandoning a girl in a Lafayette apartment and then leaving for Canada. Prosecutors say Michael and Kristine Barnett also legally changed the Ukranian girl's presumed age from 8-years-old to 22-years-old.

In the comments section a woman claims her daughter encountered the unnamed, abandoned child and assisted her. The charges have apparently been many years in the making and the couple is now divorced (see article below for parents response to charges).

Parents accused of abandoning adopted child in apartment; mom says it’s a ‘scam’

Thread #1

 

[Meloni88]

I remember Kristine saying something about NB not liking going to therapy with her. Something about NB calling either “it” or “the exercises” Childish. I wonder if Kristine was taking her to one of those alternate therapies, like “holding” therapy or something. Thoughts anyone?

Ugh, it would not surprise me in the least.

 

[Amonet]

If you don't get them in right they are so uncomfortable. If you have a period really young, you have to remember to change them.

Truth! But with the age that N was at the time combined with her height...I personally wouldn't give a child that age tampons until they were older and taller.

The Dr McLaren letter said that menstruation was noted by the neuropsychiatrist? How did they get the evidence? Was N menstruating during an extended stay in hospital and the nurses could tell? Or was it just told to the neuropsychiatrist by the Barnetts and put on N's notes by the doctors?

 

[Meloni88]

Truth! But with the age that N was at the time combined with her height...I personally wouldn't give a child that age tampons until they were older and taller.

The Dr McLaren letter said that menstruation was noted by the neuropsychiatrist? How did they get the evidence? Was N menstruating during an extended stay in hospital and the nurses could tell? Or was it just told to the neuropsychiatrist by the Barnetts and put on N's notes by the doctors?

Right, this isn't something doctor's physically check for. When you are a kid they ask if you've started yet and then when your last one was. You tell them or your parents tell them and they take your word for it, the doctor doesn't challenge you or demand proof.

 

[Meloni88]

Anyone see the part where she said Kristine would make her call the police on herself and coached her on what to say? The police would arrest her, take her for a psych eval and then release her on the same day because she was not a danger. I wonder how many times she did that... should be a nice paper trail of wasting police time.

 

[cherrymeg]

Truth! But with the age that N was at the time combined with her height...I personally wouldn't give a child that age tampons until they were older and taller.

The Dr McLaren letter said that menstruation was noted by the neuropsychiatrist? How did they get the evidence? Was N menstruating during an extended stay in hospital and the nurses could tell? Or was it just told to the neuropsychiatrist by the Barnetts and put on N's notes by the doctors?

If you tell a primary care doctor or a psychiatrist that you have your period they usually take your word for it. Are tampons recommended for girls that young? Obviously they aren't recommended if you don't have a period.

 

[Meloni88]

If you tell a primary care doctor or a psychiatrist that you have your period they usually take your word for it. Are tampons recommended for girls that young? Obviously they aren't recommended if you don't have a period.

You can use tampons from the start, my sister did. But I think most start with pads because it's easier, non invasive and you don't have to worry about TSS. The girl should always have choice between the two!

 

[cherrymeg]

You can use tampons from the start, my sister did. But I think most start with pads because it's easier, non invasive and you don't have to worry about TSS. The girl should always have choice between the two!

I remember when my one friend got her period she was 13 she was so paranoid about toxic shock. She wouldn't leave them in longer than you are supposed. There are plenty of adult women who have forgotten they have a tampon in. Would a young girl with no supervision and probably no period be likely to forget.

 

[Meloni88]

So according to that interview (and the DePauls said this too I believe) she should have had upwards of 20 surgeries for her issues. Natalia said she had one while with the Barnetts and that was the point, from her perspective at least, that Kristine began to change her attitude towards her. She was due to have more surgeries around the time they were busy trying to get her committed to psych wards and then moving to Canada. I wonder if she's been able to have any of the surgeries she was supposed to?

 

[Amonet]

I remember when my one friend got her period she was 13 she was so paranoid about toxic shock. She wouldn't leave them in longer than you are supposed. There are plenty of adult women who have forgotten they have a tampon in. Would a young girl with no supervision and probably no period be likely to forget.

The other thing with using them for the first few cycles is that with tampons and TSS it's really important to use the appropriate type for the flow. The first time for a girl might just be a little bit of spotting. That would make insertion and removal more uncomfortable and would increase the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome. So even for a girl of about 13 or so, I'd still wait until the flow had settled until asking if she wanted to try tampons, and that might not be until the second or third month or so. There could also be missed months .... there might be some spotting one month, and then two or three months later the full flow comes, and that could be light flow or heavy flow, and it might vary during the cycle.

Different mothers and different girls have different preferences, but imho those things should be taken into consideration, and it's the mother and not the child who has the experience and knowledge to think about all those things.

 

[Meloni88]

Natalia says the cleaning fluid was lemon pledge aerosol. She moved Kristines coffee out of the way and sprayed the pledge on the counter, then Kristine accused her of spraying it in her coffee. It evolved to "putting bleach or windex or something" in her coffee [Kristine] and then "pouring a bunch of pine sol" in her coffee [Michael's words].

 

[Linda7NJ]

I can’t help but wonder if something more nefarious had went on.

The tampon thing has me shook!!! How did this even come up between Kristine & Natalia? Did Kristine insert it only to remove it to brainwash & convince Natalia, who she KNEW WAS A CHILD, had her period? Why on earth would ANY SANE ADULT do this?

There’s something Kristine was desperate to hide. Was it make it appear to an examiner later that Natalia was sexually active by breaking her hymen?

The extreme lengths Kristine went to discredit this child is absolutely diabolical, why?

 

[Linda7NJ]

Natalia says the cleaning fluid was lemon pledge aerosol. She moved Kristines coffee out of the way and sprayed the pledge on the counter, then Kristine accused her of spraying it in her coffee. It evolved to "putting bleach or windex or something" in her coffee [Kristine] and then "pouring a bunch of pine sol" in her coffee [Michael's words].

The Barnett’s have this on video?

 

[squareandrabbet]

I can’t help but wonder if something more nefarious had went on.

The tampon thing has me shook!!! How did this even come up between Kristine & Natalia? Did Kristine insert it only to remove it to brainwash & convince Natalia, who she KNEW WAS A CHILD, had her period? Why on earth would ANY SANE ADULT do this?

There’s something Kristine was desperate to hide. Was it make it appear to an examiner later that Natalia was sexually active by breaking her hymen?

The extreme lengths Kristine went to discredit this child is absolutely diabolical, why?

Don't forget, the stories about how Natalia kept throwing bloody sanitary napkins/whatever Kristine's precise words were, into closets (?) and things; which is what Kristine used as "proof" to say "oh yes, she is menstruating"... because nobody needs to do the things Natalia said Kristine did; and/yet I also firmly believe, as per my earlier post upthread, that Kristine did do them, because they are so bizarre that nobody would make them up.

Also, I agree with you that no way was KB's abusive behavior intended as "teaching someone what it means to have a menstrual cycle". There have got to be about a half dozen ways to illustrate to a female child; "inserting a tampon for show-and-tell" is miles away from any of them. My suspicion says KB was actually trying to stage a situation wherein she would claim that Natalia willingly seduced one of the males in the family, but thought better of it at a later date.

 

[jjenny]

Just as I thought, N. needs multiple surgeries. I wonder if she got some or any of what she needs. Again, she is now considered a legal adult, presumably just living with Mans because adults can live anywhere they want. With a child, parents or guardians are in charge of medical care. With an adult, N. herself would have to make those decisions.

"Cynthia Mans said on the TV broadcast that she thinks the Barnetts could not afford the surgeries Natalia needs because of her dwarfism."
Natalia Grace tells what it was like being Michael and Kristine Barnetts' adopted daughter

 

[jjenny]

So according to that interview (and the DePauls said this too I believe) she should have had upwards of 20 surgeries for her issues. Natalia said she had one while with the Barnetts and that was the point, from her perspective at least, that Kristine began to change her attitude towards her. She was due to have more surgeries around the time they were busy trying to get her committed to psych wards and then moving to Canada. I wonder if she's been able to have any of the surgeries she was supposed to?

My question exactly. Did she get the surgeries she needs? Her posture is clearly not what it used to be in earlier photos.

 

[jjenny]

And what about the court that increased her age by 13 years, made her legally an adult, and then refused to change it back? On what basis did this judge do it? The bone scans that have been reported showed her to be a child around the age her birth certificate says she is. Did Barnetts produce some other bone scan showing her to be older? I think she was locked up in a psychiatric institution during the first court ruling that she was an adult. Then sounds like Mans got a lawyer to try and change it back and the lawyer lost the case. The mind boggles that with a strike of a pen a child can be changed into a legal adult.

 

[jjenny]

Natalia says the cleaning fluid was lemon pledge aerosol. She moved Kristines coffee out of the way and sprayed the pledge on the counter, then Kristine accused her of spraying it in her coffee. It evolved to "putting bleach or windex or something" in her coffee [Kristine] and then "pouring a bunch of pine sol" in her coffee [Michael's words].

Why was a child with N's condition cleaning their counters to begin with? She likely couldn't even reach the counter. She would have to stand on a stool on some kind. I am having a hard time understanding why Barnetts decided to adopt N. Were they not aware she would need extensive medical care and surgeries? Adopting child in her condition shouldn't be taken lightly, because there are enormous obligations involved with medical care needed. Would insurance not pay for these surgeries?

 

[Meloni88]

And what about the court that increased her age by 13 years, made her legally an adult, and then refused to change it back? On what basis did this judge do it? The bone scans that have been reported showed her to be a child around the age her birth certificate says she is. Did Barnetts produce some other bone scan showing her to be older? I think she was locked up in a psychiatric institution during the first court ruling that she was an adult. Then sounds like Mans got a lawyer to try and change it back and the lawyer lost the case. The mind boggles that with a strike of a pen a child can be changed into a legal adult.

It seems like the second case was about guardianship and they couldn't, or the judge would be hesitant, to change her age back because that would be overturning another decision. Maybe the Mans thought they could get it resolved that way but couldn't. Maybe the court was stonewalling because they didnt want to acknowledge the colossal *advertiser censored** up they made but now a prosecutor from another county is involved. I'm pretty sure reinstating the original birth certificate will be one of the outcomes of the current case. @gitana1 ?

 

[Meloni88]

Why was a child with N's condition cleaning their counters to begin with? She likely couldn't even reach the counter. She would have to stand on a stool on some kind. I am having a hard time understanding why Barnetts decided to adopt N. Were they not aware she would need extensive medical care and surgeries? Adopting child in her condition shouldn't be taken lightly, because there are enormous obligations involved with medical care needed. Would insurance not pay for these surgeries?

Cost and insurance could have been part of the issue... I reckon it was more to do with them not believing she really needed the surgeries and/or resenting having to do all the surgery aftercare. Having a disabled child recovering from multiple surgeries over many years is very restricting. They wanted to travel all over the country doing media appearances and book tours and gaining a profile for Kristine and Jacob. Natalia's treatments would make that very hard. She was cramping their style.