Brazilian police say a 38-year-old woman managed to pass herself off as a preteen for more than a year—and that it wasn't her first time. Authorities in Santa Catarina state accuse Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira of posing as a 12-year-old girl to move in with a couple in Joinville, where they reportedly covered her expenses, decorated a child's bedroom for her, and even threw her a birthday bash, reports the Guardian. Prosecutors allege a long-running pattern: Oliveira is said to have crafted a fake identity and emotionally manipulated families to gain housing and support, with similar accusations surfacing in other Brazilian states dating back to the late 2000s.
In the Joinville case, Oliveira is said to have claimed she was an autistic girl named Gabriele, reports Folha. She allegedly told the couple at first that she was 18, then later dropped that age to 11, claiming she appeared to be older because she'd had hormones forced upon her by an abusive father, per the Guardian. She reportedly convinced the couple not to enroll her in school or pursue formal adoption, insisting she was afraid her father would find her if that happened, and to keep paying for her living expenses, including her weight-loss meds, per a release from Santa Catarina's public prosecutor.
"To lend credibility to the story, she allegedly adopted behaviors consistent with the fictitious identity, such as infantile speech, use of objects typical of childhood, and simulation of emotional crises," the release notes. Per the Daily Star, Oliveira even is said to have dressed up in Minnie Mouse-themed attire to make her act more convincing. The ruse reportedly collapsed when a suspicious relative found earlier reports about her online, per the Guardian. Oliveira's lawyer has requested a psychiatric evaluation, which a judge approved, pausing proceedings while her fitness for trial is assessed. She remains in custody pending the mental eval, set for later this month.
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