Tracking down my ward's real age

The loving family who took me on after Mummy died, also took on a number of young girls and adopted them. One of them is under my wing whom I've been made legal guardian to. To retain my ward's privacy, I'll give her a false name: Chantelle.

Chantelle is twelve and yet always suspected she is much older. Like fifteen or even possibly sixteen. I believe her because she acts so much more mature than any twelve year old.

Also, Chantelle consistently acts older as well as having a physique more like a teenage girl. Her English grammar is outstanding. She speaks fluent Italian, French and German. She's into the arts, plays piano and acoustic guitar. Her guitar playing is simply beautiful. She wants to be an English teacher. I reckon she will be awesome and gifted, too. Chantelle said she started her periods when she was seven. Many girls start their periods a lot older, like eleven for example, so I feel her age of 'seven' to be questionable.

In conversation with Chantelle over the weekend, she told me of suspecting her devious mother may have deliberately tampered with her birth certificate, explaining that on what she thought was her 5th birthday, she put three additional candles on her birthday cake to add to what her mother had only put on: just 2. The five candles looked like a game board dice and she was really pleased, but became upset when her mother removed them and threw them into the bin.

Chantelle told me her mother retorted angrily "You are aged TWO! Not FIVE!"

Upset, she ran to her bedroom and cried. Her mother didn't speak to her for the rest of the night. She also said her mother used silence as a weapon, feeling manipulated. I thought that was absolutely bloody terrible. Chantelle told me her mother's outburst had stayed in her memory all this time and the physical abuse had got my family involved to adopt her. Thankfully she is safe with us now, a loving gentle girl who always wants to please. Yesterday I took her into town and bought her lots of clothes, even a leather Belstaff jacket which she looks stunning in. I also gave Chantelle my Taylor Custom GC BTO because she deserves it.

I have begun making private investigations for feeling quite disturbed. I have no idea why her mother may have fudged her daughter's birth certificate, but if I can prove Chantelle really is older, then she is going to be extremely happy knowing she can get on with her life. How she has coped down the years and feeling so alone only shows what a strong girl she is, and has been seeing a counsellor who has been brilliant to her. I am so proud of Chantelle.

It would make sense if she were older as she really is quite mature when discussing a whole variety of subjects and cooks the most wonderful dinners. Hpwever, I am foxed as to what her mother's motivations really were. One day I hope to recover Chantelle's original birth certificate, and then shall take legal advice to determine my next step. And I will discover that birth certificate because am very thorough and dogged. I don't give up easily and if there are any threats to me or to Chantelle, then I shall get my lawyer to deal with them. And then her mother will be in the soup.