Last Updated on 05/31/2023 by てんしょく飯
‘The six-year-old girl we adopted was actually an adult con artist…? A development similar to the film Esther is being talked about.
The girl in the news is Natalia Grace Barnett, who was adopted by a family from Ukraine.
Natalia, who suffers from a bone growth disorder and is petite in appearance, was taken in by her American adoptive parents when she was six years old, but as she lived with them, they began to think that she was “an adult with an anti-social personality, (disguised as) a child”.
According to Insider magazine, this complex story was presented within The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, a new documentary series on Investigation Discovery, a US TV station specialising in crime documentaries. The producers wanted to get to the bottom of the case.
The Barnetts adopted Natalia in 2010 through an adoption agency in Florida. In the documentary, the adoptive father, Michael Barnett, says that he was given “one day” to decide whether to adopt Natalia. According to Michael, he was told that “she is dysplastic and if she doesn’t sign within 24 hours, she will go to foster care immediately”.
Michael explained why he adopted Natalia into his family, “We wanted to help people who were in danger of not being loved, so we adopted Natalia”. Incidentally, Natalia’s birth certificate stated that she was born [on 4 September 2003].
According to Michael, the family did not initially believe that Natalia was an adult. Natalia suffered from spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia* and was only 3 ft (91 cm) tall.
*A disease characterised by dysplasia of the skeleton and other abnormalities.
The day after the adoption, his wife, Christine Barnett, bathed Natalia and discovered a startling revelation. Natalia, who was supposed to be six years old, had hair growing on her pubic area. Christine also discovers bloody underwear in Natalia’s bedroom. She discovered that she was menstruating.
Michael also stated that Natalia was also behaving anti-socially. Natalia, who had been hoarding knives, once told Michael that she would ‘rub you in your sleep’. In fact, she once appeared at the foot of his bed with a knife.
Natalia’s suspicious behaviour did not stop and she poured detergent in Christine’s coffee, pushed her against an electric fence and threatened the couple’s children.
Natalia then spent a period of time in a state psychiatric hospital, where a hospital therapist diagnosed her as a ‘sociopath’. According to hospital staff, Natalia also made ‘inappropriate’ sexual comments to male patients.
Convinced that Natalia was an adult and that her birth certificate was forged, the Barnetts petitioned the court to change the birth record. Their claim was allowed and Natalia was determined to be [23 years old, born 4 September 1989].
The Barnetts then found a flat for Natalia and told her to fend for herself, but Natalia was unable to pay for electricity and a telephone line and the authorities intervened. She moved in with a neighbour, Cynthia Manz, and was supported by social workers. Meanwhile, when questioned by investigators, the Barnetts were accused of neglecting Natalia for more than three years.
The case bears a striking resemblance to the film Esther (2009). The protagonist of the story is Esther, who is adopted by a couple. Although she seems to be happy with her new family, Esther’s antisocial behaviour and sexual comments, which are unbelievable for a nine-year-old girl, put the family at their mercy. Eventually, it becomes clear that Esther is really a 33-year-old adult, who only looks young because of her illness.
Trailer for Esther (international version)
The authorities charged the couple with neglecting their disabled daughter, but Michael was acquitted of all charges in autumn 2022. Christine, meanwhile, was also scheduled for trial in February this year, but the case was dismissed.
A Hulu limited series about Natalia Grace is currently in production, with actress Ellen Pompeo, known for her role in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, set to play his wife Christine.
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