A Ukrainian orphan has denied posing as a child and then threatening to kill the US family who had adopted her. Natalia Grace Barnett has denied claims by her former adoptive parents that she is a fully grown woman, close to 30.

“I’m 16,” she said in her first interview. “I was six years old when I came to the United States. I just know that a family came and visited me and after a while, they adopted me.”

Natalia, who has a form of dwarfism, says she had been under the care of several foster families in America before she was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett, who lived in Florida, in 2010. Kristine and Michael have said they were led to believe Natalia was six years old when they adopted her, but doubted her age, believing her to have been closer to 20 at the time. The Barnetts have said they felt threatened by Natalia and eventually moved to Canada without her – but paid a year’s rent on an apartment for her to live alone. Kristine and Michael are currently facing charges of neglect and will stand trial in early 2020.(BBC)…[+]