A 6-year-old orphan, or a “cheater” adult?Natalia Grace’s bizarre story revisited | US News
IIt’s been several years since a couple in central Indiana adopted a girl from Indiana. Ukraineconvinced she was an adult disguised as a child, abandoned her, sparking an international media frenzy and a legal confrontation with authorities who accused her of parental neglect.
But even after the recent release of a well-produced documentary series that breaks new ground in the story, the mystery surrounding Natalia Grace’s virtually unprecedented adoption case seems to remain unsolved. . Exactly how old was she when Michael and Christine Barnett left her? And was it unreasonable for them to do so?
Controversy Central to Three Episodes of ID The Curious Case of Natalia Grace Airing May 29-31 and streaming on Max and Discovery+, the show began brewing in 2010. It was then that the Burnett family took responsibility for her upbringing, believing that Natalia was put up for adoption when she was six years old. – An old man from Ukraine has a rare bone growth defect that causes dwarfism.
The Barnetts, who also had three sons, soon questioned the accuracy of Natalia’s age, records show. In a new documentary series, Michael Burnett reveals that while on a trip to Disney World, Christine noticed “a lot of pubic hair” while bathing her newborn daughter, who was supposed to be about five years older than her. He described how he let out a freezing scream. Typical puberty age for girls.
Natalia was also significantly taller, had a more developed physique and used a richer vocabulary than her age-matched playmates with the same disability, according to the documentary.
The Burnetts remembered seeing Natalia having her period. In many cases, menstruation did not occur by age 12. And she realized that she spoke English without an accent and could not understand Ukrainian, even though she was allegedly not expelled from Ukraine until Natalia was 12 years old. Five.
In the documentary series, Michael Burnett claims that Natalia threatened to stab her new family members and even tried to poison Christine. As Michael said on the show, eventually he, his wife, and their sons came to believe:
“We don’t know who she is. We don’t know where she’s actually from. Who is this person?”
The Barnetts eventually took Natalia to a doctor, who told the couple that Natalia was actually an adult. And in 2012, they successfully petitioned. Indiana The court sought to legally change her age from 8 to 22, even though a skeletal study conducted by a local children’s hospital concluded she was about 11.
Following the sentencing, which adjusted Natalia’s age significantly, the Barnetts rented an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Indianapolis, and moved Natalia there, according to court documents. I left him to live alone. Meanwhile, the Barnetts emigrated to Canada with their remaining children before their divorce, according to court records and media reports.
Authorities immediately launched an investigation into Natalia’s case. Nearly five years later, in 2019, prosecutors indicted the Barnetts for abandoning dependents.
The decision to prosecute the Barnetts has sparked sensational headlines around the world, with some accusing them of being too selfish for abandoning their potentially disabled child, and others impersonating minors. Some suggested that he was deceived by an adult.
Natalia, who appeared with the family who cared for her after the Barnetts left the United States, appeared on Dr. Phil’s talk show and denied the idea that she had cheated anyone. She said the Barnetts dumped her when she was eight, instructed her to tell people that she was older than her actual age, and that she lied about her actions. condemned.
Anton and Cynthia Mans, the couple who took in Natalia after she was left in her Lafayette apartment, defended her in the documentary, describing her as a “pure and loving” human being who “had the appearance of a child.” “An adult anti-social person” is not at all. ’” The Burnetts claim she is.
“What Michael says I did is [are] It’s a lie,” Natalia herself said on the show. She added that the Barnetts were “trying to make it look like I was just a big lunatic.” However, she counters that “it is not so.”
Michael Burnett was acquitted in a criminal trial in October. Her lawsuit against Christine, who is accused in the documentary of abusing Natalia, was dismissed in March, just weeks before her trial was scheduled to begin.
The documentary features interviews with neighbors who have said unflattering things about Natalia. One of them, Toby Miles, recounted how Natalya once stood over the Barnetts with a knife and casually discussed trying to poison them. Miles claims Natalia told him that as a result, the Barnetts hid all the knives in her house away from her and forced her to live in the garage for some time. .
Another neighbor, Sue McCallum, said after hearing a similar story: “‘Oh, you put a knife on your parents, it’s a big deal’ – that’s what she said.” .
Miles’ wife, Melanie, told the documentary that Natalia’s offensive behavior made her sympathize with the Barnetts.
“It was hard for us to understand why she was left alone in that apartment,” Melanie Miles says of the series. “But I also wonder what I would do if someone in my house was a threat to other children.”
In a recent Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, legal analyst Beth Karas, who provides commentary on the documentary series, hinted at how prosecutors are doing it. say now They have birth certificates, medical records, adoption documents, and even a statement from Natalia’s biological mother, which confirms that her listed date of birth, September 4, 2003, is accurate. proves that there is
But prosecutors also said they were barred from using any evidence they found because more than five years had passed between the alleged crime and the indictment.
still a crow Said The “ultimate question” that remains is whether Natalia was a child when the Barnetts split up. She elaborated in an interview with a British publication. mirrorThe Barnetts said they had “a few tricks” before adopting Natalia, but she wasn’t as old as the court ruling in favor of her adoptive parents said she was.
Callas noted how the show has proven that Natalia’s looks have “decidedly matured” over the years, adding, “I think she’s probably, probably younger.” rice field.
Summarize this content to 100 words IIt’s been several years since a couple in central Indiana adopted a girl from Indiana. Ukraineconvinced she was an adult disguised as a child, abandoned her, sparking an international media frenzy and a legal confrontation with authorities who accused her of parental neglect.But even after the recent release of a well-produced documentary series that breaks new ground in the story, the mystery surrounding Natalia Grace’s virtually unprecedented adoption case seems to remain unsolved. . Exactly how old was she when Michael and Christine Barnett left her? And was it unreasonable for them to do so?Controversy Central to Three Episodes of ID The Curious Case of Natalia Grace Airing May 29-31 and streaming on Max and Discovery+, the show began brewing in 2010. It was then that the Burnett family took responsibility for her upbringing, believing that Natalia was put up for adoption when she was six years old. – An old man from Ukraine has a rare bone growth defect that causes dwarfism.The Barnetts, who also had three sons, soon questioned the accuracy of Natalia’s age, records show. In a new documentary series, Michael Burnett reveals that while on a trip to Disney World, Christine noticed “a lot of pubic hair” while bathing her newborn daughter, who was supposed to be about five years older than her. He described how he let out a freezing scream. Typical puberty age for girls.Natalia was also significantly taller, had a more developed physique and used a richer vocabulary than her age-matched playmates with the same disability, according to the documentary.The Burnetts remembered seeing Natalia having her period. In many cases, menstruation did not occur by age 12. And she realized that she spoke English without an accent and could not understand Ukrainian, even though she was allegedly not expelled from Ukraine until Natalia was 12 years old. Five.In the documentary series, Michael Burnett claims that Natalia threatened to stab her new family members and even tried to poison Christine. As Michael said on the show, eventually he, his wife, and their sons came to believe:”We don’t know who she is. We don’t know where she’s actually from. Who is this person?”A photo of Christine Burnett (left) and Michael Burnett in ID’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. Photo: ID’s The Curious Case of Natalia GraceThe Barnetts eventually took Natalia to a doctor, who told the couple that Natalia was actually an adult. And in 2012, they successfully petitioned. Indiana The court sought to legally change her age from 8 to 22, even though a skeletal study conducted by a local children’s hospital concluded she was about 11.Following the sentencing, which adjusted Natalia’s age significantly, the Barnetts rented an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Indianapolis, and moved Natalia there, according to court documents. I left him to live alone. Meanwhile, the Barnetts emigrated to Canada with their remaining children before their divorce, according to court records and media reports.Authorities immediately launched an investigation into Natalia’s case. Nearly five years later, in 2019, prosecutors indicted the Barnetts for abandoning dependents.The decision to prosecute the Barnetts has sparked sensational headlines around the world, with some accusing them of being too selfish for abandoning their potentially disabled child, and others impersonating minors. Some suggested that he was deceived by an adult.Natalia, who appeared with the family who cared for her after the Barnetts left the United States, appeared on Dr. Phil’s talk show and denied the idea that she had cheated anyone. She said the Barnetts dumped her when she was eight, instructed her to tell people that she was older than her actual age, and that she lied about her actions. condemned.Anton and Cynthia Mans, the couple who took in Natalia after she was left in her Lafayette apartment, defended her in the documentary, describing her as a “pure and loving” human being who “had the appearance of a child.” “An adult anti-social person” is not at all. ’” The Burnetts claim she is.”What Michael says I did is [are] It’s a lie,” Natalia herself said on the show. She added that the Barnetts were “trying to make it look like I was just a big lunatic.” However, she counters that “it is not so.”Michael Burnett was acquitted in a criminal trial in October. Her lawsuit against Christine, who is accused in the documentary of abusing Natalia, was dismissed in March, just weeks before her trial was scheduled to begin.The documentary features interviews with neighbors who have said unflattering things about Natalia. One of them, Toby Miles, recounted how Natalya once stood over the Barnetts with a knife and casually discussed trying to poison them. Miles claims Natalia told him that as a result, the Barnetts hid all the knives in her house away from her and forced her to live in the garage for some time. .Another neighbor, Sue McCallum, said after hearing a similar story: “‘Oh, you put a knife on your parents, it’s a big deal’ – that’s what she said.” .Miles’ wife, Melanie, told the documentary that Natalia’s offensive behavior made her sympathize with the Barnetts.”It was hard for us to understand why she was left alone in that apartment,” Melanie Miles says of the series. “But I also wonder what I would do if someone in my house was a threat to other children.”In a recent Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, legal analyst Beth Karas, who provides commentary on the documentary series, hinted at how prosecutors are doing it. say now They have birth certificates, medical records, adoption documents, and even a statement from Natalia’s biological mother, which confirms that her listed date of birth, September 4, 2003, is accurate. proves that there isBut prosecutors also said they were barred from using any evidence they found because more than five years had passed between the alleged crime and the indictment.still a crow Said The “ultimate question” that remains is whether Natalia was a child when the Barnetts split up. She elaborated in an interview with a British publication. mirrorThe Barnetts said they had “a few tricks” before adopting Natalia, but she wasn’t as old as the court ruling in favor of her adoptive parents said she was.Callas noted how the show has proven that Natalia’s looks have “decidedly matured” over the years, adding, “I think she’s probably, probably younger.” rice field.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/04/natalia-grace-docuseries-hbo-discovery-ukrainian-orphan-con-artist A 6-year-old orphan, or a “cheater” adult?Natalia Grace’s bizarre story revisited | US News