Brazilian family takes in young girl, later discovers 'child' is 37-year-old woman
A Brazilian family preparing to adopt a girl they believed was 12 later learnt she was allegedly a 37-year-old woman using a false identity. Investigators say the deception spanned several states, and she now faces fraud and identity theft charges.
A Brazilian family spent more than a year caring for, supporting and preparing to adopt a girl they believed was a vulnerable 12-year-old abuse survivor, only to discover she was actually a 37-year-old woman carrying out an elaborate deception, according to a report by the New York Post.
The woman, identified as Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, has been accused by Brazilian authorities of posing as a child named Gabrielle and convincing multiple people that she had escaped an abusive home and needed protection.
According to the New York Post's report, Oliveira approached a church in Joinville, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, and introduced herself as a runaway child from Par.
Claiming to be autistic and in need of help, she gradually gained the trust of church members, who began supporting her financially before eventually connecting her with a local family.
What followed was a 14-month relationship during which the family treated her as one of their own. Investigators allege that Oliveira adopted childlike behaviour to maintain the illusion, including drinking from baby bottles, using a pacifier, carrying a comfort cloth and pretending to suffer from night terrors.
Family members paid for her food, medication and daily expenses, while also beginning the process of formally adopting her. According to local media cited by the New York Post, the family was even planning a birthday celebration for what they believed would be her 12th birthday.
One relative later recalled feeling completely blindsided by the revelation.
"I was deceived by a woman who claimed to be a 12-year-old," a family member told Brazilian outlet Jornal Ipanema, as quoted in the report. "I gave her affection, love, and food. There was no way I could suspect anything."
Authorities said Oliveira explained away concerns about her appearance by claiming that severe childhood abuse and forced hormone treatments had caused her to age prematurely. According to reports, those around her initially accepted the explanation.
The deception began to unravel when a suspicious relative started searching online and found information linking Oliveira to similar incidents elsewhere in Brazil. Further enquiries revealed that she had used multiple identities and repeated comparable stories in different regions of the country.
Police were subsequently alerted and arrested Oliveira at the family's residence on June 3.
Following her arrest, investigators said Oliveira admitted to carrying out similar schemes in several Brazilian states. According to the New York Post, she targeted churches, volunteers and families by presenting herself as a vulnerable child fleeing abuse, trafficking or dangerous living situations.
One particularly disturbing claim emerged from an earlier incident in Rio de Janeiro. A volunteer told local media that Oliveira had sought assistance in 2023, claiming to have suffered extreme abuse. When medical examinations were eventually conducted, doctors discovered more than 200 needles embedded in her body.
Investigators believe the needles may have been self-inflicted as part of an effort to make her abuse claims appear more convincing. A volunteer recalled that medical professionals were stunned by the findings, saying they had never encountered anything similar.
Authorities say Oliveira would often disappear once suspicions began to grow, only to reappear elsewhere under a different identity and with a new story.
Oliveira had also previously been convicted of false identity-related offences in the Brazilian state of Gois and had not yet served the sentence connected to those convictions.
She is now facing charges of fraud and identity theft and remains in custody at a women's prison in Joinville while awaiting trial. A judge has also approved a request from her defence team for a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether mental health issues may have influenced her actions.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Brazil due to the length of the alleged deception and the extraordinary measures investigators say were used to convince people that a middle-aged woman was actually a child in need of care.
A Brazilian family spent more than a year caring for, supporting and preparing to adopt a girl they believed was a vulnerable 12-year-old abuse survivor, only to discover she was actually a 37-year-old woman carrying out an elaborate deception, according to a report by the New York Post.
The woman, identified as Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, has been accused by Brazilian authorities of posing as a child named Gabrielle and convincing multiple people that she had escaped an abusive home and needed protection.
According to the New York Post's report, Oliveira approached a church in Joinville, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, and introduced herself as a runaway child from Par.
Claiming to be autistic and in need of help, she gradually gained the trust of church members, who began supporting her financially before eventually connecting her with a local family.
What followed was a 14-month relationship during which the family treated her as one of their own. Investigators allege that Oliveira adopted childlike behaviour to maintain the illusion, including drinking from baby bottles, using a pacifier, carrying a comfort cloth and pretending to suffer from night terrors.
Family members paid for her food, medication and daily expenses, while also beginning the process of formally adopting her. According to local media cited by the New York Post, the family was even planning a birthday celebration for what they believed would be her 12th birthday.
One relative later recalled feeling completely blindsided by the revelation.
"I was deceived by a woman who claimed to be a 12-year-old," a family member told Brazilian outlet Jornal Ipanema, as quoted in the report. "I gave her affection, love, and food. There was no way I could suspect anything."
Authorities said Oliveira explained away concerns about her appearance by claiming that severe childhood abuse and forced hormone treatments had caused her to age prematurely. According to reports, those around her initially accepted the explanation.
The deception began to unravel when a suspicious relative started searching online and found information linking Oliveira to similar incidents elsewhere in Brazil. Further enquiries revealed that she had used multiple identities and repeated comparable stories in different regions of the country.
Police were subsequently alerted and arrested Oliveira at the family's residence on June 3.
Following her arrest, investigators said Oliveira admitted to carrying out similar schemes in several Brazilian states. According to the New York Post, she targeted churches, volunteers and families by presenting herself as a vulnerable child fleeing abuse, trafficking or dangerous living situations.
One particularly disturbing claim emerged from an earlier incident in Rio de Janeiro. A volunteer told local media that Oliveira had sought assistance in 2023, claiming to have suffered extreme abuse. When medical examinations were eventually conducted, doctors discovered more than 200 needles embedded in her body.
Investigators believe the needles may have been self-inflicted as part of an effort to make her abuse claims appear more convincing. A volunteer recalled that medical professionals were stunned by the findings, saying they had never encountered anything similar.
Authorities say Oliveira would often disappear once suspicions began to grow, only to reappear elsewhere under a different identity and with a new story.
Oliveira had also previously been convicted of false identity-related offences in the Brazilian state of Gois and had not yet served the sentence connected to those convictions.
She is now facing charges of fraud and identity theft and remains in custody at a women's prison in Joinville while awaiting trial. A judge has also approved a request from her defence team for a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether mental health issues may have influenced her actions.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Brazil due to the length of the alleged deception and the extraordinary measures investigators say were used to convince people that a middle-aged woman was actually a child in need of care.
