Couple accused of abusing adopted kids moving in with parents

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning on Wednesday permitted a Franklin Park couple accused of abusing their two adopted children to move from their home.

Douglas and Kristen Barbour, both 31, requested Manning approve a petition to relocate for financial reasons. Charles Porter, an attorney representing Douglas Barbour, said the couple plan to move in with Douglas Barbour’s parents in Mercer County.

Douglas Barbour was suspended from his job as a deputy attorney general soon after the couple’s arrest in October.

Police said they denied proper nutrition to their adopted son, 6, who was taken to Children‘s Hospital in Lawrenceville on Sept. 14. When admitted, he weighed 9.5 pounds less than when he entered the United States from Ethiopia six months earlier.

Their adopted daughter, 18 months, who also is from Ethiopia and was hospitalized the same day, had multiple healing skull fractures, police said.

Kristen Barbour told doctors that the toddler has a history of banging her head. Doctors found multiple healing fractures and said it was abuse.

The Barbours are charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment. Kristen Barbour also is charged with aggravated assault.

Last month, Manning permitted the Barbours to have custody of their two biological children they are not accused of abusing — a son, 2, and daughter, 5.

Their trial is scheduled for July 9.