Natalia Grace "That's not who I am'

AS SHE STARTS A NEW LIFE, THE ACCUSED ORPHAN WANTS TO CLEAR HER NAME

- Kylie Walters

There have been a lot of things said about Natalia Grace since the Ukrainian orphan came to prominence after she was accused of being an adult with sinister intentions who was masquerading as a child by her adopted family. Now 21, she wants to set the record straight as she begins a new chapter.

"There were a lot of people saying, 'You're fake. You're a liar. You're a paedophile," Natalia recently told People magazine.

"I'm also known for the little girl that was helpless and was beaten and starved and all that. That’s not who I am. But that seems to be the only thing that people know – and that’s why it hurts me a lot.”

Natalia’s life has never been easy. Born in Ukraine in 2003, her biological mother gave her up because of her dwarfism. After spending her early years in an orphanage, she was brought to the US in 2008 after being adopted by a New Hampshire couple, who soon also relinquished their parental rights due to her “disruptive behaviour”.