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

[gladyseeya]

If Natalia was born in 1989, she wouldn’t have a birth certificate from Ukraine. It was part of the USSR and wasn’t an independent country until 1991. Further supporting a birthdate of 2003.

 

[jjenny]

I reached my adult height at age 12 and am above average height. That was such bull when it was asserted that people don’t stop growing until age 18

Same here. I grew up fast but then stopped. Females who hit puberty early won't be growing much after they hit puberty. It was actually a bummer for me because I was taller than my peers as a young girl of 10-12 (which is desirable in many sports) and then my coach was really disappointed when I didn't end up being a lot taller than average adult female. And that's average size females, not ones with dwarfism. Someone with dwarfism obviously isn't growing like a regular person.

 

[jjenny]

bbm Are you sure lol. Because I "stopped growing" at 12 too at 169 cm, ten+ years later having my first baby still the same height, then ten years after that my new doctor wanted to check my height, and I thought she was an idiot but lo and behold, I had grown 2 cm at some point in my 20s. I said "Oh my God, I've grown!" and she said "Of course you have" like it was normal.

So, if they really used Natalia's height and growth pattern to determine her age, shouldn't that be enough to have this decision questioned in a court somehow. It's not a scientific method to use at all, add to that she has a rare type of dwarfism, even less so. I hope she or her new family has a lawyer who's looking into what can be done.

They have used her not growing to age her up by 14 years. This is such an absurd idea, how is it allowed to stand?

"'Nobody knows quite what age, but she has not grown in four years, so the judge came up with his own little formula: ‘Well, you stop growing at 18 – if she hasn’t grown in four years then she’s at least 18 when she entered their lives. And I’m gonna add four years."

How old is Natalia Grace? Legal expert calls for case to be revisited

Beth Karas (pictured) has sensationally cast doubt over the legal ruling that increased Natalia Barnett's age by 14 years in 2012, arguing that the process used by a judge was dubious at best.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[jjenny]

Just finished watching the, I think, last episode of HBO/MAX "Curious Case..." Why in the world did the prosecution drop all charges with prejudice against Christine. I don't understand this at all.

Prosecution is not allowed to present evidence that Natalia was abandoned as a child since she was re-aged by court. So she is legally considered an adult. So when Michael wasn't convicted (beause again, prosecution couldn't present evidence that Natalia was abandoned as a child) the prosecution must have realized there is no chance of conviction against Christine either.

 

[jjenny]

Legal pile of poo for lack of better term. The Statute of Limitations was up, they were not able to proceed with those charges because she was legally an adult and they could not get the Judge to reverse that decision. There may be other charges they could bring, but time is probably up on them as well.
This case has really bothered me since I watched it. How did so many people know something odd was going on and no one do anything? It blows my mind.

And we have neighbors who are complaining what a bother Natalia was when she was living in a apartment by herself. It's amazing she made it living by herself at such a young age.

 

[jjenny]

Here is some good summary of Michael's trial. Prosecution could not present evidence that Natalia was abandoned as a child.

"The jury ultimately decided not to convict Michael because of the specific judge's instructions. They couldn’t take information before 2016 into account, and no one was allowed to discuss Natalia’s age."

Documentary finale: ‘Barnett vs. Barnett’

The final two episodes of Kristine and Michael Barnett’s saga with their adopted daughter Natalia Barnett - "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" - featured the messy fallout of the

www.purdueexponent.org

 

[megs1477]

And we have neighbors who are complaining what a bother Natalia was when she was living in a apartment by herself. It's amazing she made it living by herself at such a young age.

I am 43 with MS, which is limited, but I doubt as much as her condition, and I struggle living alone. There are the physical limitations but also the mental toll it takes being isolated from people. I can't imagine how an 8 year old would process that and how they could not be traumatized by it.

 

[jjenny]

Her doctors weren't allowed to testify that she was a child either.

"In a tense exchange between Kristine’s defense counsel, Mark Nicholson, and Dr. Joseph Bellflower in an online deposition, Bellflower is told he can’t mention Natalia was a child when he treated her in 2010, despite the scientific evidence pointing to it."

Documentary finale: ‘Barnett vs. Barnett’

The final two episodes of Kristine and Michael Barnett’s saga with their adopted daughter Natalia Barnett - "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" - featured the messy fallout of the

www.purdueexponent.org

 

[jjenny]

I am 43 with MS, which is limited, but I doubt as much as her condition, and I struggle living alone. There are the physical limitations but also the mental toll it takes being isolated from people. I can't imagine how an 8 year old would process that and how they could not be traumatized by it.

Exactly. She wasn't just a child left to live alone, she was a severely disabled child. Isn't it fun how courts protect rights of the adoptive parents (by not even allowing discussion that Natalia was abandoned as a child) but who was protecting Natalia's rights when court re-aged her?

 

[Dawn Day]

They have used her not growing to age her up by 14 years. This is such an absurd idea, how is it allowed to stand?

"'Nobody knows quite what age, but she has not grown in four years, so the judge came up with his own little formula: ‘Well, you stop growing at 18 – if she hasn’t grown in four years then she’s at least 18 when she entered their lives. And I’m gonna add four years."

How old is Natalia Grace? Legal expert calls for case to be revisited

Beth Karas (pictured) has sensationally cast doubt over the legal ruling that increased Natalia Barnett's age by 14 years in 2012, arguing that the process used by a judge was dubious at best.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The judge didn’t come up with the formula to choose her age. The Barnetts specifically asked the judge to change her birthdate to 1989. They wrote that year in their petition. They wrote that Dr McLaren and social worker Susan Whitten said that year was appropriate. Dr McLaren sure was trying to walk back the role he played in this travesty. He’s full of it.

 

[Teche]

She was not considered a minor when she was living with adults in 2019. She as considered an adult legally, since she was re-aged to be an adult in 2012. Judge re-aged her by 14 years making her an adult overnight. She has been a "legal adult" ever since, so she was never considered an independent minor. She is getting payments from the government because she is considered disabled adult, because of her severe dwarfism.
All I know that so far attempts to reverse her re-aging has been un-successful with courts ruling against them. There were several lawyers attempting to reverse the re-aging but they were not successful.
Since she is now actually an adult, it probably won't even make a difference now, since she is an adult either way. And I don't think one can civilly sue a judge for re-aging her in 2012? So even if she managed to overturn it now, what would it accomplish now?
She already missed on everything that a child is eligible for, such as free education and so on. I am also pretty sure she didn't get all the surgeries she needed for her dwarfism.

I watched all of the ID episodes last night. I've never seen someone cry on demand as MB. IMO, he’s as sick as the ex-wife.
MB mentioned that Natalia received disability funds and when Natalia moved in with the couple, they assisted in having the funds directed to a new address. Prior to this, MB received the funds and distributed them to Natalia. This is a couple who lived in a “mini-mansion” a had an expensive sports car. Priorities.

 

[Dawn Day]

Prosecution is not allowed to present evidence that Natalia was abandoned as a child since she was re-aged by court. So she is legally considered an adult. So when Michael wasn't convicted (beause again, prosecution couldn't present evidence that Natalia was abandoned as a child) the prosecution must have realized there is no chance of conviction against Christine either.

The State was also limited to the time period of July 2014 until 2016 when Natalia moved out of Tippecanoe County. They faced no criminal sanctions for the entire time she was in the 1st or 2nd apartment because of the Statute of Limitations being 5 years. That’s why Michael was acquitted.

 

[Dawn Day]

If Natalia was born in 1989, she wouldn’t have a birth certificate from Ukraine. It was part of the USSR and wasn’t an independent country until 1991. Further supporting a birthdate of 2003.

GREAT ANALYSIS!!!

 

[jjenny]

The judge didn’t come up with the formula to choose her age. The Barnetts specifically asked the judge to change her birthdate to 1989. They wrote that year in their petition. They wrote that Dr McLaren and social worker Susan Whitten said that year was appropriate. Dr McLaren sure was trying to walk back the role he played in this travesty. He’s full of it.

Regardless of who first suggested 1989 as her birthday-the judge didn't appoint anyone to represent her interests.
She was a child and nobody was appointed to represent her interests when she was legally re-aged to an adult.

 

[jjenny]

If Natalia was born in 1989, she wouldn’t have a birth certificate from Ukraine. It was part of the USSR and wasn’t an independent country until 1991. Further supporting a birthdate of 2003.

Also, her mother (who was a single woman of 24 in 2003 when she had Natalia) was only 10 years old in 1989. Natalia is actually her second child. Natalia, when she was born, already had an older sibling who was 4 years older than her. Her mother was obviously not six year old when she started having kids. Prosecution actually verified that her birth mother is her birth mother by DNA tests, but they were not allowed to present any of that evidence at trial.

 

[kaen]

This situation is an abomination. There are so many systematic failures that happened to this child. If we go back to the primary failure--her adoption that was fast-tracked-- we can see why there are so many cases where we shake our heads in adoptions that result in abuse. Thorough adoption processes include understanding of the parental issues that are present that might be problematic in the transition to parenting. This couple found folks who were willing skip over essential study to insure N and all of the kids in this house. There have been a number of cases here where when the facts are revealed, we all just shake our heads and talk about the odd circumstances and system failures.

In her original adoption, N came through the federal government in order to be domiciled here. Having done this process on a number of occasions, there is an exhaustive system especially when you are adopting a child with special needs. (At the end of the day the US govt does not like to have kids come into this country if there is no medical support for their needs b/c the US doesn't want to be on the hook to pay for medical treatment.) Her relinquishment in the US and possibility of winding up on state rolls is not one that adoption agencies and advocacy groups want.

So, how did this couple get access (and, quick access at that) to an adoption? Has the FL agency been investigated?

N is now an adult who has been denied opportunities and protections based on these awful people---all the ones who touched her paperwork from the FL agency to the judge who made her a legal adult and everyone in between.

 

[jjenny]

She clearly had a very hard life (and US courts assisted in that). She was given up by her mother as a newborn and was placed in an orphanage. She was adopted by the couple from the US but they gave her up pretty fast after adopting her. She then was placed with Barnetts who had a court to re-age her into an adult So Barnetts couldn't be prosecuted for abandoning a child since legally she is an adult. Because she was made into a legal adult, she couldn't enroll in school, so she lost on an education. She also needed a lot of medical treatments, numerous corrective surgeries and I don't believe she got that at all. And then we have media discussing whether she is an adult sociopath and so on.

 

[Dawn Day]

Regardless of who first suggested 1989 as her birthday-the judge didn't appoint anyone to represent her interests.
She was a child and nobody was appointed to represent her interests when she was legally re-aged to an adult.

True. But I resented the way Dr McLaren was trying to absolve himself of his culpability. That doctor wrote the nastiest letter about Natalia on Michael’s behalf. It was utterly reprehensible and he needs to be held accountable IMO. Also unmentioned in the series was that Dr McLaren actually showed up in court with Michael to oppose her new family‘s attempt to have her correct age restored. After the Barnetts themselves Dr McLaren is next in line of accomplices

 

[Teche]

It the very end of the ID special, the interviewer handed a laptop to MB and asked him to address what Kristine said about Michael. Nothing was disclosed. It left me with the impression that she had a video or a picture that was incriminating. Does anyone know what Kristine had on Michael?

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I’ve googled and occasionally tried to follow the case, but I don’t understand if anyone was able to proove this young lady’s age. Is there proof? How is she now?