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

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bears10 said:
But she legally wasn’t a minor at that point anyway to their knowledge since they had her age legally changed before they left her.

ETA I personally do not think it’s in any way normal, acceptable, or okay for a child that was adopted internationally to be “rehomed” three times. Adoption agencies are supposed to provide support for struggling parents (especially since many Eastern European adoptees have mental health issues) and they are also supposed to keep tabs on the adoptees. Where is the adoption agency??? Where is the first couple that adopted her???
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Well clearly the people attempting to get the guardianship didn't believe that legal age change. So let's say you're the parents. They have to be notified of the guardianship petition. Which likely stated that although the parents got an age change, the child was actually still minor.

Do you just ignore that or do you contest it saying that "While our adopted daughter seems younger, her actual age is over 18. Thus no guardianship is required."?

It would be folly to not contest it.
 
gitana1 said:
Well clearly the people attempting to get the guardianship didn't believe that legal age change. So let's say you're the parents. They have to be notified of the guardianship petition. Which likely stated that although the parents got an age change, the child was actually still minor.

Do you just ignore that or do you contest it saying that "While our adopted daughter seems younger, her actual age is over 18. Thus no guardianship is required."?

It would be folly to not contest it.
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I guess I’m just confused about how and what went down. I’m just going to dip until we get more info, because I can believe so many different scenarios happened. People have been scammed in international adoptions. The Ukraine has given falsified docs in adoptions, if for no other reason than accepting a bribe or just not having other documentation handy to check against. Bribery is disguised as “gifts” in many cases. OTOH, there are money grubbing scammer adoption agencies, abusive adoptive parents, abusive creeps who intentionally seek out “rehoming” situations, etc.
 
bears10 said:
I guess I’m just confused about how and what went down. I’m just going to dip until we get more info, because I can believe so many different scenarios happened. People have been scammed in international adoptions. The Ukraine has given falsified docs in adoptions, if for no other reason than accepting a bribe or just not having other documentation handy to check against. Bribery is disguised as “gifts” in many cases. OTOH, there are money grubbing scammer adoption agencies, abusive adoptive parents, abusive creeps who intentionally seek out “rehoming” situations, etc.
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It is very confusing. But trust me that they would have received notice of the petition and would b stupid not to challenge it if they were sticking with the story that the kid was an adult -whether true or not.
 
gitana1 said:
It is very confusing. But trust me that they would have received notice of the petition and would b stupid not to challenge it if they were sticking with the story that the kid was an adult -whether true or not.
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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.
 
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.
 
Arrest warrants filed for parents accused of abandoning girl in Lafayette
“LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — Arrest warrants were issued Tuesday morning in Tippecanoe Superior Court II for two parents accused of abandoning their adopted daughter in a Lafayette apartment.”...
“WISH-TV reporter Dan Klein went to the listed Indianapolis-area addresses for Kristine and Michael Barnett. No one appeared home at Kristine's listed address. At Michael’s home, the people inside refused to answer the door.”

Indiana couple accused of abandoning adopted daughter, moving to Canada
“Terrance Kinnard, an attorney for Michael, told NBC News that his client plans to surrender to police Wednesday. Court records indicated that Kristine had not yet been arrested.”

Arrest warrants issued for parents accused of abandoning daughter in Lafayette apt.
Nice story, image includes the apartment that was rented and quotes from a person who interacted with the girl when she was there.

And then this article: (grrr) mentions their impending move to Toronto/Waterloo, where they had bought a farm. Other siblings named in the piece, but no acknowledgement of the girl they dropped off to fend on her own. College in Canada is next step for Westfield boy genius Jacob Barnett, family

... if she were an adult (though dad says they knew she was a minor): had she mastered English? Was the apartment outfitted to her physical limitations? Did she have a support network put in place?
 
Father accused of abandoning adopted girl arrested, bonds out

News 18 was there as he walked out around 4:45 p.m. after posting the $5,000 bail, just over an hour after online records say he was booked.

Is the girl, a grown up, who pretended to be a kid? Or is she a kid, with some premature aging, and such extreme behaviors, that a doctor and a social worker were convinced that she was an adult? Or was Kristine able to falsify paperwork and convince a lawyer and the court that the girl was older?
 
I think the latter is the ca
Breezie said:
Father accused of abandoning adopted girl arrested, bonds out

News 18 was there as he walked out around 4:45 p.m. after posting the $5,000 bail, just over an hour after online records say he was booked.

Is the girl, a grown up, who pretended to be a kid? Or is she a kid, with some premature aging, and such extreme behaviors, that a doctor and a social worker were convinced that she was an adult? Or was Kristine able to falsify paperwork and convince a lawyer and the court that the girl was older?
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BBM: I think the latter is the case.
 
beatrixpotter said:
Yikes! My now 18 yo son was diagnosed at 2 yo and it was not my doing. I knew something was wrong with him and had known since he was a few weeks old. But at that time I would never have considered him autistic. I only saw a neurologist for assessment because his speech therapist strongly encouraged it. He'd been in therapy of various things since under a year old. I was absolutely gobsmacked at the diagnosis. When I'd read descriptions of autism at the time it didn't sound like him to me.

But I really hate to have it impugned there is something bad about parents whose children get early diagnoses. That's not really fair. I see loads of parents with kids where something is clearly wrong. But because the parents are in denial they are deprived of good therapy and help early on in life. I think that's why most kids aren't diagnosed till later. It's not till they get into a school setting.

But every state has programs to get kids help early because it's shown to be the most helpful. Babies Can't Wait is a name for the programs offered. Because getting babies help and therapy for developmental disorders is shown to be so much better than waiting till your child is in school and they are standing out more and more as different and needing help.
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beatrixpotter said:
Parents seriously just can not win. You are either a crap parent because you failed to get your help early on. OR you are a crap parent because you DID get your child help early on but you probably did it just for attention. Ugh.
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I am sorry, what...? All I did was asking if 2 years old wasn't a little too early to have a child diagnosed with autism, and I went as far as clearly stating that I am uneducated on the issue, that's exactly why I asked. I don't feel like I or the people that kindly replied to my post were judgemental or insensitive about the issue or about parents with autistic children. I meant no harm whatsoever, I honestly just didn't know. Anyways, I am sorry if my post hurt your feelings though.
 
claudianunes said:
I am sorry, what...? All I did was asking if 2 years old wasn't a little too early to have a child diagnosed with autism, and I went as far as clearly stating that I am uneducated on the issue, that's exactly why I asked. I don't feel like I or the people that kindly replied to my post were judgemental or insensitive about the issue or about parents with autistic children. I meant no harm whatsoever, I honestly just didn't know. Anyways, I am sorry if my post hurt your feelings though.
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You asked a great question! Thank you for doing it! I answered your question, from my experience with my daughter's autism /not autism diagnoses (and some help from WebMD), because the more we all know about autism, the better her world becomes. If I had known some warning signs, sooner, who knows? She might have a better life now.

If I wasn't clear before, it's because things are murky and changeable in autism-world. We are learning every day, with countless other parents and teachers and occupational therapists and doctors and kids. We are grateful to them all!
 
Breezie said:
Indiana couple legally changed daughter's age before abandoning her, police say


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.
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What menstrual development? I had my first period at 9 years old (yikes, I know).
 
Breezie said:
Indiana couple legally changed daughter's age before abandoning her, police say


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.
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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
 
Breezie said:
Indiana couple legally changed daughter's age before abandoning her, police say


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.
Click to expand...
IMO this last statement was a cover to abandon the child. It is likely that she exhibited issues that the parents couldn't handle. The father has indicated his belief that the daughter was a minor when they left her. Two doctors had independently estimated her age at 8 in 2010 and 11 in 2012 using the more accurate method of cranial development assessment (how our skull bones seal is an accurate time estimate).
 
Man who allegedly changed adopted daughter's age then abandoned her turns himself in

In fall 2013, Michael Barnett moved back to Indiana "after an incident impacting the children," Kristine Barnett stated in a court document. The divorce records do not state what that incident was.

On their divorce petition filed Feb. 3, 2014, and on the subsequent decree published in July 2014, Michael Barnett and Kristine Barnett stated they did not adopt any minor children during their marriage.
 
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
 
Breezie said:
Man who allegedly changed adopted daughter's age then abandoned her turns himself in

In fall 2013, Michael Barnett moved back to Indiana "after an incident impacting the children," Kristine Barnett stated in a court document. The divorce records do not state what that incident was.

On their divorce petition filed Feb. 3, 2014, and on the subsequent decree published in July 2014, Michael Barnett and Kristine Barnett stated they did not adopt any minor children during their marriage.
Click to expand...
So they lied on their divorce petition.
MOO.
 
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