A 38-year-old woman has been arrested in Brazil for allegedly posing as a 12-year-old girl and tricking a couple into looking after her for more than a year. Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira is charged with fraud and false identity after moving into the family's home in Joinville, in northern Santa Catarina, for 14 months, according to police.
Alleged Deception Uncovered in Court
During a hearing at Joinville, the couple who took Amanda in, their son, a police officer, experts, and two professionals presented by the defence gave evidence. Prosecutors accused Amanda of creating the identity of Gabriele Ferreira dos Santos, initially presenting herself as 11 before claiming she was 12. She allegedly approached a religious community after claiming she had fled Para because of abuse and mistreatment and had no identity documents.
The family believed they were helping a traumatised child and eventually treated her as a daughter, preparing a bedroom decorated with children's paintings and paying for her living expenses. They even organised a party to celebrate what they believed was her 12th birthday.
Methods of Alleged Deception
According to investigators, Amanda used an infantilised voice, children's toys, pacifiers, and baby bottles to maintain the alleged deception. She also claimed to have autism and said her adult appearance was the result of being forcibly given hormones during childhood. Amanda admitted lying about who she was but denied that she had intended to defraud anyone. According to police, she said: 'It is clear that I deceived people, I lied. But I did not intend to scam anyone.'
Her defence lawyer Lucio Sousa argued during the opening of the trial that Amanda had not caused financial losses and said the identity was instead a survival strategy. Sousa said: 'It was the way she found to survive. But she has been a vulnerable person for more than 20 years.' He added that there had been no allegation that Amanda had obtained financial advantage through robbery or theft, arguing that the elements of fraud had not been established.
Pattern of Alleged Identity Fraud Over a Decade
Amanda's lawyer Sarita de Paiva told reporters she had told investigators that she was seeking the attention, affection, and protection missing from her childhood. De Paiva also said that Amanda believed revealing she was an adult would mean she would no longer receive the same care. But police said the Joinville case was only the latest in a pattern dating back more than a decade.
Social worker Delma Soares said Amanda had stayed with her in Belo Horizonte in 2017 while using the name Karolina and presenting herself as a vulnerable teenager. Delma said Amanda contacted her after a presentation and asked whether she helped people affected by prostitution and child abuse. Delma said: 'She had the posture and behaviour of a teenager. She liked to wear children's clothes with childish designs.' The social worker later became suspicious, saying Amanda's physical strength and sudden changes in behaviour did not fit the age she claimed. Delma said: 'When I said she was an adult, people thought I was mistaken. I had no proof, only the conviction I had built through living with her.'
Amanda had reportedly arrived at the project with injuries caused by needles and pieces of wire and was taken to hospital, where examinations found objects in her body.
Additional Alleged Victims and Identities
Another alleged victim, nutritionist Renata Magalhaes, said Amanda used the name Duda when they met in Rio de Janeiro in 2023 and claimed to be an autistic teenager who had suffered abuse. Renata said the alleged deception was carefully constructed using childish behaviour, drawings, and emotional episodes. Renata said: 'Her phone was full of searches. She researched how an autistic person behaves and how to make drawings to move evangelical people.' Renata also alleged that Amanda had inserted needles into herself and later vomited them in front of her. Renata said: 'She vomited the needle. She vomited, she did it in front of me. It is bizarre.' She added: 'I have seen many people laughing and making jokes on the internet, but she is a fraudster, a narcissist, a dangerous woman. She is a person who puts on a character like a coat and creates a totally fake narrative.'
A psychologist who encountered Amanda in Recife in 2023 said she also carried a teddy bear, spoke in a childlike voice, and claimed to have suffered sexual abuse. The psychologist said: 'She demonstrated childish behaviour in her body language and an infantilised voice, but we could see the traits of an adult woman. We could see there was a performance there; it was not something genuine or natural.'
Amanda also allegedly used another identity, Emily, in Parana during the Covid-19 pandemic, claiming to be a 13-year-old girl suffering from terminal leukaemia. One woman who became emotionally attached to the supposed child reportedly even had the name Emily tattooed on her wrist. In another case in Jundiai, Sao Paulo, in 2022, Amanda allegedly identified herself as Ana Clara dos Santos Oliveira, claimed to have been born in 2009, and told authorities she had escaped a house of prostitution where she had allegedly been sexually exploited since childhood.
Amanda was arrested at the Joinville family's home on June 2 and has remained in custody since then. The judge said the request for Amanda's release would be considered alongside the verdict, which is expected within five days.
