An Indiana couple has been accused of legally changing their adopted daughter’s age from 8 to 22 before moving the rest of the family to Canada and leaving the girl to fend for herself.
Prosecutors charged that Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted their daughter Natalia at age eight from Ukraine in 2010 before eventually changing her vital records in 2012 so they could leave her on her own. Law enforcement became involved when Natalia sought out help from neighbors.
The Barnetts, who are now divorced, allege that they paid rent up front for the apartment in Indiana so that Natalia would not have to worry about paying rent. It was not immediately clear what Natalia, who is disabled, or her adoptive parents planned for her to do for other forms of care. Michael Barnett confirmed in court documents that they did not provide financial assistance to Natalia beyond paying her rent.
Kristine Barnett claims that Natalia, who has a form of dwarfism, was part of an adoption scam and was over 18 before she came to live with them in 2010. In a Facebook post this week, Kristine claimed she was innocent of the charges and that there was no warrant for her arrest. “I am sick and devastated from the idea of any of these charges and maintain that they are false charges,” Kristine wrote. “Friends and family you decide if what you are reading is real or fake for yourselves. I am having to come in here to confirm I am not arrested and my attorney states and has confirmed there is no warrant for my arrest.”
A court affidavit contains hospital records that estimated Natalia’s age to be approximately 8 in 2010 and closer to 11 in 2012, but Kristine provided a separate doctor evaluation that claimed Natalia was an adult. The written statement by Dr. Andrew P. McLaren at IU Health in Indiana stated that Natalia’s provided date of birth was “clearly inaccurate,” citing dental development, menstrual development, and several other factors. He estimated that she was likely between 18 and 22 at the time of evaluation in 2012.
Michael’s attorney Tarrence Kinnard implied that his client also believed he’d been the victim of adoption fraud and that Natalia was much older than they were originally led to believe. Kinnard said he did not believe Michael and Kristine committed abandonment due to the girl’s real age. Michael was expected to surrender to authorities on Wednesday.
Kristine Barnett further said that Natalia had been diagnosed as both a psychopath and a sociopath. Natalia has not been reached for comment, and it was not immediately clear if she was involved in legal action against her adoptive parents.
