38-year-old woman posed as a 12-year-old girl for 16 months

In Brazil, an unusual fraud case is being investigated: a 38-year-old woman posed as a 12-year-old girl for nearly a year and a half, lived with a foster family, and received their full support. The court is now awaiting the results of a psychiatric examination of the accused.

In Brazil, the trial of 35-year-old Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, who posed as a 12-year-old girl, has been suspended. This was reported today by the British The Guardian.

"The 38-year-old woman was arrested in Brazil on charges of posing as a 12-year-old girl to deceive a couple who took her into their home more than a year ago. Rafael Luis Zivert, Oliveira's lawyer, stated that after questioning, he 'identified elements justifying a request for a psychiatric examination.' The judge granted the request, and the trial has been suspended until it can be determined whether Oliveira can stand trial. In the meantime, she remains in jail," the publication states.

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira is accused of fraud in the southern state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. For nearly 16 months, she lived with a couple in the city of Joinville, who covered all her expenses, set up a bedroom in their home with toys and children's furniture, and even threw a party for her 12th birthday.

After Oliveira's arrest a little over a week ago, it was revealed that she had previously been accused in several other states in Brazil for conducting similar schemes. According to prosecutor Vivian Soares, the investigation uncovered "a complex fraud scheme involving the creation of a fictitious identity and emotional manipulation of victims to obtain unjustified benefits."

As the deceived couple told the police, Oliveira first approached them at the evangelical church they attended, introduced herself as Gabriel, and claimed to be 18 years old. She complained of financial and medical difficulties, which led the couple to take her in. Later, Oliveira claimed that she was actually 11 years old and looked older because her father allegedly forced her to take hormones and abused her. She also reportedly convinced the family not to enroll her in school and not to adopt her, supposedly out of fear that this could allow her father to find her.

The deception was uncovered by the couple's aunt, who occasionally visited the family. Suspecting that something was off with the "girl's" age, she searched online and found reports of a similar case in Rio de Janeiro three years ago. Videos and photos posted by other alleged victims show how Oliveira used pacifiers, baby bottles, and spoke childishly.

The earliest known case involving Oliveira dates back to the late 2000s in her home state of Ceará, when she was in her early 20s. She allegedly claimed at a police station that she was 12 years old and a victim of sexual violence.

This story has shocked Brazil not only due to the scale of the deception but also because of how long the woman managed to maintain her fictitious identity. Now the investigation must determine what motivated her actions — a carefully planned scam or serious mental health issues.