Police who arrested Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira say she admitted that she had lied to obtain financial support
A 38-year-old woman has been arrested in Brazil accused of pretending to be a 12-year-old girl to deceive a couple who took her into their home for more than a year.
Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira was charged in the southern state of Santa Catarina with fraud and false identity offences.
During the nearly 16 months she lived with the couple in the city of Joinville, she reportedly had all her expenses paid, a bedroom decorated with toys and children’s furnishings, and a party to celebrate her purported 12th birthday.
The case has been widely reported in local media, prompting disbelief that Oliveira allegedly managed to sustain the deception for so long.
