Woman, 37, who ‘posed’ as lady, 12, ‘wore Minnie Mouse garments’ to persuade new dad and mom
Families who took in a 37-year-old who allegedly pretended to be a vulnerable 12-year-old girl have claimed she used fake abuse claims, childish behaviour, medical scares and even wore Minnie Mouse clothes to make them believe her story.
Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira is being held in Joinville, the largest city in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, after allegedly living with one family for 14 months.
Police said Amanda, whose real age is 37, presented herself to the family as a girl called Gabriele. Court records reportedly show that she first approached the family through a church pastor, saying she was 18, had experience in baking and was looking for work.
But after the couple allowed her to stay temporarily, she allegedly began claiming she had health problems and no money. Police said Amanda later changed her story and told the family she was only 11 and had been abused.
The couple believed they were helping a vulnerable child and even organised a party to celebrate what they thought was her 12th birthday.
Amanda was arrested on 2 June after a relative of the family became suspicious, and police said she has since been indicted for fraud and false identity.
Nutritionist Renata Magalhaes, who said she was targeted by the same alleged scam in Rio de Janeiro in 2023, claimed Amanda researched how to imitate a child and how to copy the behaviour of an autistic teenager.
Renata, a clinical child nutritionist with an emphasis on autism, said Amanda’s alleged act worked because autism is diagnosed through clinical signs rather than laboratory tests.
She alleged Amanda used drawings, childish behaviour and fake crises to sustain the deception. Renata said Amanda, who allegedly introduced herself at the time as “Duda”, claimed her father had forced her into prostitution and made her take hormones.
She said Amanda used that story to explain her adult appearance and lack of documents. Renata also claimed she saw Amanda vomit needles on several occasions.
She said: “She vomited the needle. She vomited, she did it in front of me. It is bizarre. 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.”
Renata claimed police later found searches on Amanda’s phone about autistic behaviour and how to make drawings that would move religious families.
She said: “Her phone was full of searches. She researched how an autistic person behaves, how to make drawings to move evangelical people and, to make it worse, there was a huge history of pornographic films.”
Social worker Delma Soares, from Belo Horizonte, claimed Amanda had also lived with her in 2017 while using the name Carolina and claiming to be a vulnerable teen.
Delma claimed Amanda arrived wearing Minnie Mouse clothes, carrying a backpack and a Minnie Mouse headband, and appeared much younger than her real age.
She alleged Amanda called everyone “auntie”, cried often, slept a lot and became jealous when Delma gave attention to other children.But Delma said she became suspicious and confronted Amanda about her real age. She said: “Carol, you’re not a minor, you’re an adult.”
Delma claims Amanda then dropped the childlike act and broke several objects in her home. Police said Amanda admitted using the same scam in Curitiba, Nova Iguacu, Minas Gerais, Goias and Ceara.
Officers in Santa Catarina are also investigating two further cases in Florianopolis and Chapeco. Amanda’s court-appointed defence lawyer Rafael Luiz Siewert said she will undergo mental health examinations.
