IN - Couple charged with abandonment of adopted child after legally changing her age, Sept 2019

[EvilOlivE]

I just read this. I’m not sure what to believe here either. But I will say, that picture of NB with the coloring sure looks like the work of a child. I suppose someone could emulate the style, but I’m not sure I could fake the coloring and handwriting that well.

I'm not really buying the whole "she had an adult vocabulary" thing as one of the proofs of her being older either. My son at 7 had an extensive vocabulary and used words that I couldn't believe he knew the definition of, and really spoke in an adult manor a lot of the time.

 

[bfin1995]

So a judge upheld the age change in 2016. That surely adds some weight to their defence:

‘Natalia was living on her own and a couple wanted to become her guardians. Thinking she was still a child, the couple tried to overturn the 2012 result,' explained Michael's attorney Kinnard.

'This time the hearing was even more in depth, not only did the judge look at medical reports and other documents, but witnesses came before the court to explain why they were certain Natalia had been 22.

'The judge upheld the original results and the couple dropped the guardianship petition'

Mom claims Ukrainian daughter, 9, she adopted was really a 22-year-old with dwarfism | Daily Mail Online

 

[gitana1]

I would to know who the doctor,and probate judge are,and what their record,and reputation are. Stellar,or shady.
There's been a five year investigation. Charges,and warrants issued. I doubt they would do that without due cause.
MOO.

It's possible they got the age change without a doctor's testimony or opinion.

 

[gitana1]

https://www.wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-8/warrants-issued-for-indianapolis-pahttps

Kristine gave News 8 an undated and unsigned copy of the “Verified Emergency Petition for Change of Birth Date of Foreign Born Adopted Child.”

Attorney Michele Jackson confirmed with News 8 by phone that she helped the Barnetts submit the petition and is one of the only experts in the country who deals with age change requests of this nature. She said requests to change an adopted child’s age are rare but do happen.

In the petition, the Barnetts said they began to notice unusual behaviors and physical characteristics that didn’t match the girl’s documented age. They believed her to be an adult, viewed her behaviors as dangerous and thought she posed a threat to their family and to society.

The petition argues that changing the girl’s birth date would help her receive appropriate adult assistance, including for her diagnosed case of schizophrenia. It claims mental health clinics that had previously treated her would no longer admit her because they did not believe she was a child.

The petition cited the girl’s doctor and her licensed clinical social worker, who both said they believed she was at least 22 years old. News 8 reached out to both professionals last week for interviews, but those requests were ignored or denied.

I should have read ahead before posting.

 

[gitana1]

I think the latter is the ca

BBM: I think the latter is the case.

I think she's able to convince a lot of people of a lot of things.

 

[gitana1]

From the story above (BBM): "Kristine provided a letter to News 8 that claims to be from Michael’s doctor at IU Health, who also treated the girl at one time. IU Health refuses to confirm to News 8 if the document is genuine."

From Michael's doctor. Who is able to assess psych disorder, gynecological evidence AND dental maturation? What specialty is going to sign off on that cluster?*

*the answer is none

Yeah I feel like the state would've investigated all of that before leveling charges.

 

[gitana1]

New to the case and don’t have a strong opinion yet. I have a daughter, adopted from Russia, who has autism. So, it hits close to home.

There are doctors who have a specialty in international adoption. They pour over records thoroughly, watch videos of the child and/or observe and examine the child in person. (Our agency encouraged us to send all of our daughter’s info to a doctor like this before we made the decision to adopt her.) It’s amazing how they look at different things to compute what they believe to be a child’s age. In our experience, and with others we know, their assessments have been spot on.

That is what is confusing me the most. Who determined the child’s age at the time she was adopted internationally and brought to the US? If it was a US adoption doctor, I completely buy his/her story. If it was an orphanage, I would have doubts. So many lies come from the orphanage directors, just to make a child more “adoptable”.

I’m going to wait and see how’s things pan out before I take a side. I do feel sorry for the girl. MOO, when you adopt a child, regardless of age, you have promised to be their family forever. If they truly believed fraud was involved, they should have went through proper channels.

JMO

I believe two separate, US doctors estimated her age at 8 and two years later at 11.

 

[gitana1]

I can't follow this case anymore. Your post in general, but specifically your last paragraph, describes what happened to my son to a tee. I am so saddened and sick that it has happened to another child. I hope everyone involved in this disgusting scheme is brought to justice soon. moo.

Oh no! So sad to hear that.

 

[gitana1]

I expect this pediatrician would be able to make a professional judgement about the various skeletal scans....

View attachment 205442

Mom & wife Jen Arnold!

Little People, Big World is what more "Reality TV" should be IMHO.

JMHO YMMV

I love them so much. Awesome family. Sorry for the OT!!

 

[gitana1]

Though the treatment the girl received was horrible and the parents should face criminal charges, overseas adoptions from eastern Europe can go bad for many reasons.

These reasons include home country social services systematically concealing that the child has severe emotional or behavioral problems, has used violence, or has even been diagnosed as displaying sociopathic tendencies. It is not uncommon for local social services to maintain a "show" file for prospective adoptive parents from the west and a "real" file for local use.

In the end, more than a few US parents have simply been overwhelmed by a child with either concealed conditions that the child cannot control or very willful criminal behavior issues that they were not informed about that can endanger other members of their family. Though this does not excuse criminal conduct by the parents, desperate people can do desperate things.

Yes. No doubt. But I think these desperate parents figured out a way to get rid of the problem without having to deal with her.

How much do you want to bet this kid has a super high IQ and missy knew about her behavioral issues but decided SHE was the only one who could change it around.

I'm sure she then would've written another impossibly miraculous tale about how she single handedly changed a young adoptee's life due to her unceasing devotion, relentless work and unwillingness to listen to "stupid" doctors who wanted to limit her new child.

And then it didn't turn out that way. So she abandoned ship.

If it had worked out I could see her collecting brilliant young adoptive children whose behavioral problems simply stemmed from being "misunderstood" by the system.

At least she didn't beat and starve her "mistake" away like so many do.

Poor kid. She deserved a chance. Instead she got that woman. IMO.

 

[gitana1]

As the State gets to ultimately decide what is right for the children / or what rights children have, too much tilt in that directions yields:

- Family Judge "J" does not like parent's beliefs or lifestyle. He then orders the children removed to protect their "rights".

- Nosy neighbor "N" exaggerates less than ideal living conditions at home "H". This triggers an investigation that confirms some of what "N" said. The State then removes the children to protect their "rights".

- Social worker "S" really enjoys the authority her job gives her. She then contrives situations where she needs to intervene in order to protect the "rights" of children.

The above situations maybe simplified in some aspects, but dangers of giving the State too much authority over parents are very real.

Intelligent post. You're right. It's a balance.

 

[Cryptic]

Intelligent post. You're right. It's a balance.

Thank you for the compliment.

 

[SunnyTurtle]

What a bizarre case!

 

[bears10]

So, I found the facebook of the couple who took her in, she is still with that family and they look to be very happy. If what the adoptive mom who was arrested says is true (about her trying to kill them, etc.), why would this girl be happily still living with the new family. Makes no sense if she was truly a murderous psycho.....

What a crazy story.

imo she currently looks the same as she did in the daily mail pics. Meaning, imo, she doesn’t look like a teenager in the older pics from the daily mail article, but she still doesn’t look like a teen now. What an odd case.

 

[claudianunes]

I find it really hard to believe that this girl did the terrible things she has been accused of doing, and now she's with a family with no aparent issues at all. There are pictures (candid, not posing) of this girl with a baby, there's no way this family would allow such close contact if she was really like this woman says she was. And if this girl was really a con artist, why the heck wouldn't she have shave prior to going to their house? If she was pretending to be 6 she would think the mom would help her with baths, no? Also, her having a period super young means nothing.

 

[DD8]

This is really an odd one. Waiting to hear more

 

[SuziQ]

Didn't US doctors convince a judge that Natalia was an adult? And I would love to know the backstory of why the original adoptive parents suddenly gave her up. And where us she now? I hope the prosecutor knows what he is doing.

 

[DD8]

Didn't US doctors convince a judge that Natalia was an adult? And I would love to know the backstory of why the original adoptive parents suddenly gave her up. And where us she now? I hope the prosecutor knows what he is doing.

Same here. Why the "emergency adoption"? (If that's true). I feel like we're dealing with a sociopath here. Just which one is it...

This is so confusing!

 

[KALI]

I'm curious as to whether their claim that this child was much older than they thought, came about around the same time as the horror movie about a same storyline?
I'm also baffled about how long she lived with these parents before they put her in her own apartment?
6 years? 8 years?
Personally, I was a very smart, self reliant child. I had to be.
I really think that by the age of 11, I could have managed being left on my own.
However, I have no physical problems.
But, even if I did, I think I would have managed. As, I am a survivor.
This is truly an amazing story.
* I SO want to hear what this adopted child has to say!!!!

 

[SuziQ]

Same here. Why the "emergency adoption"? (If that's true). I feel like we're dealing with a sociopath here. Just which one is it...

This is so confusing!

I will for sure be following this case.