{"id":4750,"date":"2026-06-05T10:59:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/couples-adoption-nightmare-as-daughter-they-believed-was-12-turns-out-to-be-grown-woman\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T10:59:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:59:10","slug":"couples-adoption-nightmare-as-daughter-they-believed-was-12-turns-out-to-be-grown-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/couples-adoption-nightmare-as-daughter-they-believed-was-12-turns-out-to-be-grown-woman\/","title":{"rendered":"Couple&#8217;s adoption nightmare as daughter they believed was 12 turns out to be grown woman"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_13ef38\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">A 37-year-old woman tricked families into taking care of her while claiming she was escaping violent abuse and forced prostitution while posing as a 12-year-old girl.<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37252233\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 37, poses in undated photo. She pretended to be a teenager in few Brazilian states. (Newsflash\/NX)\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252233.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_PAY-NewsX-BebyTeen-01.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252233.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/2_PAY-NewsX-BebyTeen-01.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252233.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/2_PAY-NewsX-BebyTeen-01.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252233.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_PAY-NewsX-BebyTeen-01.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 37, pretended to be a teenager in multiple Brazilian states\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 37, pretended to be a teenager in multiple Brazilian states<cite aria-label=\"Image: Newsflash\/NX\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Newsflash\/NX)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/lifestyle\/family\/\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">family <\/a>was left devastated after adopting what they believed to be a 12-year-old girl and becoming emotionally attached to her, only for the relationship to unravel after 14 months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">However, it all came to a halt when a relative became suspicious and searched online for similar cases, quickly realising the &#8216;<a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/child\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">little girl<\/a>&#8216; whose 12th birthday they were planning to celebrate was allegedly a 37-year-old woman linked to a string of near-identical incidents. <!-- -->The couple also paid for expensive medication including Mounjaro after the woman allegedly claimed to suffer from obesity and health conditions linked to childhood abuse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 37, typically approached victims by claiming she had escaped violent abuse, forced prostitution or mistreatment by relatives, according to investigators.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37252231\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37252231\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"She drank from baby bottles, used pacifiers and slept with a comfort cloth in an effort to maintain the ruse \" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252231.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_PAY-NewsX-TeenDupes-01.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252231.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_PAY-NewsX-TeenDupes-01.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252231.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_PAY-NewsX-TeenDupes-01.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252231.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_PAY-NewsX-TeenDupes-01.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"She drank from baby bottles, used pacifiers and slept with a comfort cloth in an effort to maintain the ruse \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">She drank from baby bottles, used pacifiers and slept with a comfort cloth in an effort to maintain the ruse <cite aria-label=\"Image: Newsflash\/NX\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Newsflash\/NX)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A volunteer in Rio de Janeiro said Amanda contacted her through social media in 2023 asking for help. <!-- -->She told local media: \u201cShe said her father had forced her into prostitution and that he was involved in witchcraft rituals. She claimed she escaped by hitchhiking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The woman eventually travelled to Mage, in Rio de Janeiro state, where Amanda had been staying with an elderly woman, and brought her back to Nova Iguacu. <!-- -->She said: \u201cWe mobilised friends, rented a house and took care of her. She seemed like an obese autistic teenager and spoke like a child.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Authorities claim Amanda reinforced the deception by pretending to have autism and other medical conditions while behaving like a young child. <!-- -->She drank from baby bottles, used pacifiers and slept with a comfort cloth in an effort to maintain the ruse as well as staging panic attacks during the night and displayed emotionally dependent behaviour associated with children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It is alleged Amanda used fake names, fabricated stories of abuse and childlike behaviour to gain sympathy before persuading families, churches and social workers to shelter and financially support her. <!-- -->The recent case came to light on June 3 when police arrested Amanda at the home of a couple in Joinville, Santa Catarina state, who had reportedly cared for her as their adopted daughter for over a year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The volunteers suspicions grew when needles began emerging from Amanda&#8217;s body, leading her to arrange hospital imaging test. <!-- -->The volunteer said: \u201cThe doctor looked shocked and told us he had worked in the field for years and had never seen anything like it. He said she had more than 200 needles in her body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Police in Goiania later released X-ray images which they said showed dozens of needles inside Amanda\u2019s body following another examination in 2024. With medical staff also confirmed Amanda\u2019s real age before investigators uncovered the alleged deception.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Police in Joinville said Amanda later admitted during questioning that she had posed as a child in several cities. <!-- -->After being alerted to the case, detectives said they uncovered reports linking Amanda to a series of similar incidents across <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/Brazil\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Brazil<\/a>. She had previously been detained in Rio de Janeiro and Goias over comparable allegations but was later released and they believe Amanda used the same methods in multiple locations and carried out similar deceptions in at least seven Brazilian states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Officials in Goias later convicted Amanda of false identity offences, although police said she has not yet served the sentence imposed by the court. During a custody hearing on June 3, prosecutors requested her preventive detention while her defence team asked for a psychiatric evaluation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A judge granted both requests and ordered Amanda to remain in custody at Joinville Women\u2019s Prison while an official mental health assessment is carried out. <!-- -->Defence lawyer Rafael Luiz Siewert said the psychiatric evaluation could help clarify \u201cthe circumstances related to the case\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/world-news\/amanda-oliveira-adoption-fraud-brazil-37252109\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 37-year-old woman tricked families into taking care of her while claiming she was escaping<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2_PAY-NewsX-BebyTeen-01.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}