THE 37 year old woman arrested this Tuesday (2) in Joinville (SC) on suspicion of pretending to be 12 years old to get help from a family, he was the target of investigations and prosecutions for ideological falsehood in at least five states.
In all cases, Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira deceived other people by claiming to be a child, always using different names than hers. She introduced herself as Gabriele, Ana Clara, Maria Eduarda, Beatriz and Maria Clara. The scam has been applied since at least 2018.
Lawyer Rafael Luiz Siewert, responsible for Amanda’s defense, says he identified elements that justified the request for a mental health examination, accepted by the Court.
He said that he awaits the conclusion of the technical expertise to adopt the appropriate procedural measures and stated that he would not comment on the merits of the case, out of respect for the progress of the investigations and the rights of the person being investigated. He also did not comment on the other processes.
Prosecutions and investigations for ideological falsehood have been processed or are still being processed in the states of São Paulo, Rio de JaneiroMinas Gerais, Goiás and in two other cities in Santa Catarina.
The oldest case took place in Minas Gerais in the city of Teófilo Otoni, where Amanda was taken in by a man after claiming to be 13 years old and called Beatriz.
In June 2023, Amanda was arrested red-handed in Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro. At the time, the police was called in by two women to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and false imprisonment reported by a girl who introduced herself as Maria Eduarda and said she was from Fortaleza.
The two women were deceived for around a month by Amanda, who claimed to live in a vulnerable situation. Compassionate, the victims rented a house, bought clothes, food and personal items for the fake child. They reported expenses of around R$2,000.
When giving a statement at the police station, Amanda repeated that her name was Maria Eduarda, that she was 12 years old and that she had fled Fortaleza because she was a victim of sexual exploitation.
She told the police that her parents forced her to work in houses of prostitution since she was six years old, and reported that her father performed witchcraft on her and other children, causing injuries to their bodies. He also said he fled his home with the help of truck drivers.
When investigating the case, the police identified that Maria Eduarda was actually called Amanda, who at the time was 35 years old and was the target of investigations with similar reports in Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
The police arrested her at the time for embezzlement, misrepresentation and defamation, and she was later released. The Public Ministry proposed a non-criminal prosecution agreement.
Amanda also responded for ideological falsehood in processes in the districts of Jundiaí (SP), Goiânia (GO), Florianópolis (SC) and Chapecó (SC).
This Tuesday, Amanda was arrested red handed after finding shelter for 14 months in a house located in the district of Pirabeiraba, in Joinville. She began to be treated as an adopted daughter after claiming to be 12 years old and having suffered abuse in Pará, where she said she lived.
According to the police, the woman used the false name “Gabriele” and justified her physical appearance by claiming to be autistic. She also said that she had been forced to use hormones during her childhood.
For delegate Rodrigo Gusso, responsible for the investigation, the case reveals the woman’s “high power of persuasion and empathy”.
Amanda was ordered into preventive detention after undergoing a custody hearing. In the same decision, the Court accepted the defense’s request for mental health examinations to be carried out.
