A family was left heartbroken after adopting what they thought was a 12-year-old girl and forming a deep bond with her, only to discover after 14 months that the girl was actually a 37-year-old woman involved in multiple similar cases.
The deception was uncovered when a relative became suspicious and searched online, revealing that the girl they believed to be turning 12 was, in fact, a woman named Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira. Amanda had a history of approaching people with fabricated stories of abuse and health issues, such as obesity and childhood trauma, to gain sympathy.
She manipulated families, churches, and social workers by pretending to be a victim of abuse and using childlike behavior to deceive them. Amanda’s elaborate ruse included pretending to have autism, drinking from baby bottles, and exhibiting emotionally dependent behavior associated with children.
Authorities arrested Amanda in Joinville, Santa Catarina, where she had been living with a couple who believed she was their adopted daughter. Concerns arose when needles started emerging from Amanda’s body, leading to a medical examination that revealed over 200 needles lodged inside her.
Further investigations in Goiania exposed more needles in her body, confirming Amanda’s real age and unraveling her web of deception. She confessed to posing as a child in various cities and was linked to similar incidents across Brazil, resulting in a conviction for false identity offenses in Goias.
Amanda is currently in custody at Joinville Women’s Prison awaiting a psychiatric evaluation, as prosecutors seek preventive detention while her defense team requests further examination to shed light on the case’s circumstances.