Woman Poses as 12-Year-Old to Gain Family's Trust, Deceives Them for Over a Year
Scandal Rocks Brazil as Woman Accused of Impersonating Vulnerable Child
A 37-year-old woman, Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, has been accused of spending over a year convincing a family in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina that she was a vulnerable 12-year-old girl in need of care and adoption. The case has garnered widespread attention across the country and has raised questions about the vulnerabilities of charitable networks, religious organizations, and families seeking to help children believed to be at risk.
According to investigators, Oliveira assumed the identity of a child named Gabriela and successfully maintained the deception for approximately 14 months before the scheme was uncovered. Oliveira first approached a pastor in the city of Joinville, claiming she had fled an abusive home in the northern state of Para. Members of the church community reportedly provided financial support and eventually introduced her to a local family, who welcomed her into their home and began caring for her.
The family covered a range of expenses, including medication costs, organized celebrations for what they believed was her 12th birthday, and had begun preparations to formally adopt her. Oliveira reportedly told those around her that compulsory hormone treatments during childhood had altered her physical development and that years of abuse had caused her to appear significantly older than her actual age.
