A bizarre case that has stunned Brazil ended with the conviction of a 38-year-old woman who authorities say spent more than a year living with an unsuspecting couple while pretending to be a 12-year-old girl — speaking in a childlike voice, playing with dolls, using pacifiers and baby bottles, and even celebrating what the family believed was her 12th birthday.
The woman, identified as Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, was convicted of fraud and using a false identity. Investigators say the episode was far from an isolated incident, with similar allegations involving different names and identities surfacing in numerous parts of Brazil.
The extraordinary deception in Joinville, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, began when Oliveira appeared in a local evangelical community under the name “Gabriela.” At first, she reportedly claimed to be 18 years old, said she had previously worked in a bakery and explained that she was searching for employment.
Through a local religious leader, she was introduced to a couple who decided to help her.
As their relationship developed, however, “Gabriela’s” story changed dramatically. She told the couple that she was actually much younger and claimed to be a child who had fled an abusive home in Pará, a state in northern Brazil. She also portrayed herself as autistic and suffering from various health problems.
The couple accepted her account and brought her into their home, where she remained for approximately 14 months. They came to regard her as a foster daughter, providing her with housing, clothing, food, medication and medical care. They even prepared a bedroom filled with toys for her.
At one point, the family held a birthday celebration marking what they believed was “Gabriela’s” 12th birthday.
Maintaining the identity involved far more than simply claiming to be a child. According to reports and investigators, Oliveira spoke in a high-pitched, childlike voice, played with dolls and produced drawings resembling those of a young girl. Evidence also indicated that she used pacifiers and baby bottles.
The couple even paid for weight-loss medication for her.
The performance was apparently so convincing that when police ultimately arrived at the house to arrest Oliveira, the woman who had taken her in reportedly struggled to comprehend that the supposed child living in her home was actually an adult.
According to an account published by The Washington Post, officers entered “Gabriela’s” bedroom and found her sitting on the bed eating, surrounded by dolls and drawings.
Local police chief Rodrigo Goss reportedly addressed her by her real name — Amanda — and made clear that the charade was over.
Then came the moment that effectively shattered the identity she had maintained for months.
The woman who had been speaking in a childlike voice suddenly changed the way she spoke. She stood up from the bed and began talking in the voice of an adult woman.
The unraveling of the alleged deception had begun with a relative of the couple who became suspicious that “Gabriela” was considerably older than she claimed.
The relative began searching online and discovered reports about a woman named Amanda who had been connected to a similar case in Rio de Janeiro.
The photographs and other details appeared to match.
Police were contacted, and Oliveira was arrested at the family’s home on June 2. During questioning, she provided her real identifying information and acknowledged using a false name and age.
But investigators soon found that the Joinville case appeared to be only one chapter in a much longer story.
According to Brazilian investigations and media reports, Oliveira allegedly used numerous names and identities over the years, including Gabriela, Ana Clara, Maria Eduarda, Beatriz and Maria Clara. Cases and investigations connected to her reportedly surfaced in several Brazilian states, with Oliveira allegedly portraying herself on multiple occasions as a distressed child or teenager.
The Washington Post reported that Oliveira admitted she had been pretending to be a child for more than 15 years.
The Times, citing court documents, reported cases connected to her in numerous Brazilian states, including Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Ceará, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo.
In one 2023 case in Rio de Janeiro, Oliveira allegedly called herself “Maria Eduarda.” Two women who believed they were dealing with a vulnerable young girl rented a home for her and purchased clothing, food and personal supplies.
A police examination of her identity eventually revealed that the supposed girl was actually Oliveira, who was 35 at the time.
Another disturbing detail emerged from the account of Renata Magalhães, a nutritionist from Rio de Janeiro who had previously helped Oliveira.
Magalhães said Oliveira approached her seeking assistance, and she eventually became emotionally attached to her, regarding her almost as a daughter.
After suspicions arose, Magalhães began investigating Oliveira’s identity and discovered the alleged deception. She said police later showed her Oliveira’s online search history.
According to The Times, those searches included questions about how an autistic person behaves and how to create drawings that would evoke an emotional response from evangelical Christians.
The latest case culminated in a court ruling last week, when a Santa Catarina court convicted Oliveira, now 38, of fraud and using a false identity.
Her attorneys argued during the proceedings that she suffers from psychiatric problems and requires treatment. The defense also disputed the contention that the family had sustained the type of financial loss necessary to support a fraud conviction.
The court rejected the argument that Oliveira’s condition absolved her of criminal responsibility.
According to the ruling, she knowingly constructed and maintained a false identity in order to persuade the family to believe her story, allowing her to receive her living expenses and other necessities for months. The court also addressed the emotional and familial impact on the couple, who had formed a relationship with someone they believed to be their young daughter.
Oliveira was sentenced to one year, six months and 10 days in prison for fraud, along with another four months and 18 days for using a false identity.
The court ordered her to remain in custody and did not permit her to pursue her appeal while free.
Her defense has already announced plans to appeal the ruling and seek to have the conviction overturned.
For now, the verdict closes the latest chapter in one of Brazil’s most extraordinary impersonation cases.
{Matzav.com}
