Remember the story of a Ukrainian woman accused of pretending to be a child and abandoned by her adoptive parents

37-year-old woman is 'welcomed' after pretending to be 12 years old
A 37-year-old woman was arrested last Tuesday (2) on suspicion of pretending to be a 12-year-old teenager and living for 14 months as an adopted daughter in a family's home in Santa Catarina. To the Civil Police, Amanda Maria confessed to the crime. The case recalls the story of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan who was adopted at the age of 6 by an American couple - who allegedly abandoned the child because they claimed that she was, in fact, an adult "scammer" and "psychopath".
The real story gained such repercussion that it was based on the series "A Perfect Family", available on Disney+, and "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace", available on Max.
Remember the story of Natalia Grace
Orphan Natalia Grace was born in Ukraine and arrived in the United States in 2008;
She was diagnosed with congenital spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia - a type of dwarfism;
The child was adopted by the American couple Kristine and Michael Barnett, in 2010, when he was six years old;
The couple began to suspect Grace's age and claimed that she was pretending to be a child;
In 2012, the adoptive parents asked to change their daughter's birth date from 2003 to 1989. The Indiana court accepted the request and Natalia became 22 years old, instead of eight;
In 2013, the Barnetts moved with their biological children to Canada and left Natalia in the USA.
Grace denied the family's accusations and had her original idea confirmed by a blood test in 2023, when she was 22 years old.
The Barnetts claimed that Natali was determined to "harm her family." The then-couple (who split in 2014) alleged that the child tried to poison Kristine's coffee, tried to drag her toward an electric fence and placed clear thumbtacks on the stairs, according to People.
Natalia Grace's trajectory aroused public interest
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After changing her age, the couple rented an apartment for Natalia to live alone and they went to Canada with their biological children.
Just in 2019, the story gained attention when Indiana prosecutors accused the Barnetts of neglecting a dependent person. Kristine and Michael were formally charged with child neglect.
"In every lie there is a hidden truth, but you have to dig deep enough to find it," Natalia said in the documentary series "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks."
In January 2025, Natalia told "People" that she was preparing to live on her own, studying for her high school equivalency diploma (GED) and learning to drive.
Natalia Grace, young Ukrainian woman with dwarfism who gained notoriety with series and documentary
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What happened to the Barnetts?
Natalia Grace with Kristine and Michael Barnett
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An Indiana judge dismissed allegations of neglect based on Natalia's age. However, prosecutors have brought charges against the former couple for negligence due to Natalia's disabling dwarfism, as reported by the "Journal and Courier".
However, Michael was found innocent in October 2022, and the charges against Kristine were dropped in March 2023, according to "People" magazine.

Source: G1