Brazilian woman, 38, accused of fraud after posing as child for over a year
A 38-year-old woman in Brazil has been arrested for allegedly pretending to be a 12-year-old girl to deceive a couple who housed her for nearly 16 months. She faces charges of fraud and false identity.
Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 38, was arrested in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, on charges of fraud and false identity. She is accused of posing as a 12-year-old girl to live with a couple in the city of Joinville for nearly 16 months. The couple covered all her expenses, set up a bedroom with toys and children's furniture, and threw a party for her purported 12th birthday.
After her arrest, it emerged that Oliveira had previously been charged in several other Brazilian states for similar schemes. Public prosecutor Viviane Soares stated the investigation revealed “an elaborate fraud scheme involving the creation of a fictitious identity and the emotional manipulation of victims in order to obtain undue advantages.”
The couple told police they first met Oliveira at an evangelical church, where she introduced herself as “Gabrielle” and claimed to be 18. After they took her in, she allegedly changed her story, saying she was actually 11 but looked older because her father had forced her to take hormones and sexually abused her. She also reportedly convinced the family not to enroll her in school or formalize adoption, arguing it would allow her father to find her.
The deception unraveled when an aunt who occasionally visited grew suspicious of Oliveira's age. After an online search, she found reports of a similar case in Rio de Janeiro three years earlier involving Oliveira. Videos and photos shared by other alleged victims show Oliveira using pacifiers and baby bottles and speaking in a childlike voice.
The earliest known case dates back to the late 2000s in Oliveira's home state of Ceará. Then in her 20s, she allegedly went to a police station claiming to be 12 and a victim of sexual abuse and forced prostitution by her parents.
Oliveira's lawyer, Rafael Luiz Siewert, said he had “identified elements that justified requesting a psychiatric evaluation” after interviewing her. The judge granted the request, and proceedings have been suspended until Oliveira's fitness to stand trial is determined. She remains in custody.
