Brazilian woman who posed as child for 15 years convicted of fraud
A 37-year-old Brazilian woman was convicted of fraud and false identity after living with a foster family for 14 months while pretending to be a child, a scheme she said was her way to survive.
A Brazilian woman who spent more than a year living with a foster family while pretending to be a child has been found guilty of fraud and false identity. Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 37, was convicted Thursday by the Court of Justice of Santa Catarina, according to a translated release from the court. The family had taken her in as their daughter for 14 months before her scheme was uncovered.
Oliveira claimed she had fled abuse when she joined the family, and she later admitted to creating a false identity and age, the court said. According to the Washington Post, she had been living falsely as a child for 15 years in what officials described as an elaborate fraud. She used a high-pitched, childlike voice and even told people she had been forced to take hormones that made her look older.
She was sentenced to one year, six months and 10 days in prison, along with four months and 18 days of detention. Her lawyer, Lúcio Sousa, said before the verdict that Oliveira's scheme was how she survived. He noted that she had lived on the streets for years and that there was no allegation she obtained any financial advantage or committed robbery or theft.
Oliveira said she never intended to hurt anyone. She acknowledged deceiving people and lying, but said she did not intend to scam anyone. She explained that she wanted to experience the love she never received as a child, describing a void in her and a need for care that she always sought out.
After the verdict, Sousa said in a statement on Instagram that the defense would pursue all appropriate legal measures and appeals before the higher courts. The case has drawn attention in Brazil and beyond because of the unusual nature of the deception and the length of time Oliveira maintained the false identity.
