Kristine Barnett of Indiana, USA, author of The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism, adopted in 2010 a Ukrainian girl who had a rare form of acondroplasia that causes untreated of bone (also known as dwarfism). After the adoption, Kristine then abandoned her daughter and told local Wish-TV that "in fact, she was an adult, but was taken away as a child." The story is weird and mysterious, so we're explaining it in more detail.

In 2010, Kristine and husband Michael adopt a daughter in Ukraine

The girl, whose name is not known, was born in Ukraine. Authorities said she had "a rare bone growth disorder". When she was adopted by the Barnett family in 2010, she was eight years old and lived with them for the next three years.

At that time, the Barnett family received international attention because of their son Jake, who was named a genius in the field of quantum physics. At the age of 1, Jake was diagnosed with severe autism and the only thing doctors expected was to at least tie his shoes. But today Jake, in his early teens, is paid to be a researcher in the field of quantum physics. In her book, Kristine shows exactly her journey with Jake.

Given the sensational case, the Barnett family appeared on several television shows, where a Ukrainian girl appeared alongside her mother. (min 1:37).

Michael and Kristine do not deny that they abandoned the girl

After several years, Michael and Kristine moved to Canada in the summer of 2013, as if Jake would be teaching at a physics institute. They did not take the adopted daughter with them, but left her in a rented apartment.

Here, the story begins and becomes suspicious. Kristine and Michael reportedly changed the girl's real age, from 11 years old to 22 in an Indiana courthouse and then rented an apartment. They fled to Canada, leaving the girl alone in Lafayette, Indiana.

But Kristine says she abandoned her because she was an adult

The author told Wish-Tv that she abandoned the girl because she found out she was cheating on her age. In fact, according to her, the girl had symptoms of psychopathy and was diagnosed with sociopathy. Kristine pointed out that the girl's birth certificate was incorrect because she had an adult's teeth and sexual characteristics.

But Michael tells a different story

According to the Washington Post, when police questioned Mr. Barnett, he said they actually left the minor girl in Indiana and Kristine cheated that she was 22 years old.

The girl leaves the apartment in 2014

According to court documents, the girl was evicted from the apartment because she had not paid rent. During the year, Michael and Kristine filed for divorce.

What happened next?

That same year, a school principal, according to the Washington Post, raised concerns about the girl as her medical age (12-13 years) did not match legal age (in her 20s). The investigation has not been whitened yet and remains a mystery.

Other documents say that a couple sought custody of the girl in 2016, but the Barnett's refused until January 2018. Then the young couple changed their mind about adoption.

Finally, eight years after abandoning her daughter, the charges against Michael and Kristine were reintroduced as the case is still pending.

Source: Cosmopolitan