Franklin Park couple's hearing continued in abuse case

Franklin Park couple's hearing continued in abuse case

Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 5:06 pm | Updated: 11:39 pm, Tue Oct 23, 2012.

By Jenny Wagner jwagner@timesonline.com | 11 comments

LEETSDALE — For the second time this month, a preliminary hearing has been continued for a Franklin Park couple accused of abusing two Ethiopian children they adopted earlier this year.

Douglas Benjamin Barbour, 33, and Kristen Brianne Barbour, 30, both of 2552 Cole Road, were charged earlier this month with aggravated assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of children. Douglas Barbour also was charged with simple assault.

The Barbours were scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon in Leetsdale District Court, but the hearing has been moved to Nov. 19, according to online court documents.

According to Allegheny County police reports, Douglas Barbour, a state deputy attorney general, took his 6-year-old adopted son to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh on Sept. 14 for concerns of hypothermia, rapid breathing and skin breakdown.

Police said that since his adoption, the boy had lost about nine pounds, but rapidly gained back seven pounds within five days of being in the hospital. Children’s physician Dr. Rachel Berger also said the boy’s skin rash probably was caused by ongoing contact with urine, and it had cleared almost completely during the same amount of time, according to police.

A primary care physician in May advised the Barbours to give the child unfettered access to food, according to the police report, but they said he would “eat until he throws up.” The couple told their son’s school not to give him any food, police said.

Berger issued a recommendation that the parents not be allowed to have contact with the child, stating, “I have been part of the Child Protection Team for almost 14 years and cannot remember the last time I recommended no contact,” according to the police report.

Police said that while Douglas Barbour was at the hospital, Kristen Barbour called 911 about their 18-month-old adopted daughter, who she believed was having a seizure.

Doctors at Children’s said the girl had hemorrhaging in her brain and healing fractures in her legs and feet, police said. Berger concluded that the girl was the victim of “abusive head trauma,” and recommended that she also not be returned to the Barbours’ home, according to the police report.

The Associated Press reported that the couple, who were released from Allegheny County Jail after posting bond, have been allowed supervised visits with their two biological children. Officials said those children, ages 2 and 4, were not abused.