INSIDE EDITION EXCLUSIVE:

A COUPLE WHO HOPED TO ADOPT THE UKRAINIAN-BORN ORPHAN NATALIA SAY THEY HAVE PROOF THAT SHE’S A MINOR – NOT AN ADULT POSING AS A CHILD AS HER FORMER ADOPTIVE PARENTS ALLEGE

Please mention airdate:

Thursday, October 31^st

Check local listings at www.insideedition.com

VIDEO LINK (MUST CREDIT INSIDE EDITION AND LINK BACK):

https://ietv.co/2JEWbxR

New York, NY — October 31^st, 2019 –  In an exclusive airing on Thursday, INSIDE EDITION’s Steven Fabian speaks with Vincent and Nicole DePaul, a couple who hoped to adopt Ukrainian-born orphan Natalia, the young woman accused by her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, of being an adult posing as a child. The DePauls have a form of dwarfism similar to Natalia’s, and say they wanted to adopt the orphan in 2009, before she was given to the Barnetts.

The DePauls ultimately did not proceed with the adoption, but say they have proof that Natalia is a teenager, not a 30-year-old as the Barnetts allege. They show INSIDE EDITION stacks of adoption paperwork that list Natalia’s official birthdate as September 4^th, 2003, which would make her 16-years-old.

Mr. DePaul tells INSIDE EDITION he was shocked when he heard the Barnetts allegations that she was actually an adult. “When I heard that, I was shocked,” he says. “She looked like a child, she acted like a child. Do I look like a kid? I’m a dwarf.”

The family also had Natalia stay at their home multiple long weekends to see if she was a good fit. There are photos of her with the DePaul’s daughter, Mackenzie, that seem to offer one striking clue as to her age. Natalia is missing a tooth and has another tooth coming in.

Age wasn’t the only issue. The Barnetts also say Natalia of tried to kill them and their children, even claiming she tried to push Kristine Barnett into an electrified fence.

The DePaul’s say that’s not physically possible. “If me or my wife tried to push someone into an electric fence, it wouldn’t go that well,” Mr. DePaul tells INSIDE EDITION. “Imagine someone who’s struggling to walk pushing an average size woman into a fence. It’s ludicrous.”

What upsets the family most is that Natalia was left to fend for herself in an apartment in Lafayette, Ind. when the Barnetts moved to Canada. The Barnetts have pled not guilty to child abandonment charges.

For Inside Edition’s full report tune in on Thursday, October 31^st. For stations and times in your area, check local listings at www.insideedition.com.

INSIDE EDITION is produced daily by Inside Edition Inc. and distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

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