Woman, 37, is ‘adopted’ by unwitting family for 14 months after convincing them she was a 12-year-old who had fled abusive parents
A 37-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly convincing a family to adopt her by pretending to be a 12-year-old girl running away from her abusive parents.
The case came to light after police arrested the suspect on June 2 at his family home in the Pirabeiraba district of Joinville, Brazil.
Police said the suspect, who had tried the same scam before, used the fake name ‘Gabriele’ and persuaded a local family to take him in after claiming he was escaping harassment in the northern state of Para.
According to investigators, the suspect first approached a church in Joinville and told a priest he had escaped mistreatment.
Members of the religious community reportedly began helping him financially and found him accommodation before his family welcomed him into their home.
Police said the couple became emotionally attached to the suspect and treated her like a daughter for about 14 months.
Investigators said the 37-year-old claimed to suffer from autism and other medical conditions to explain his adult appearance.
He also allegedly told the family that he was forced to take hormones following abuse he suffered as a child, which he claimed caused his elderly features.
To perpetuate the deception, the suspect adopted childish behavior such as using a bottle, a pacifier, and a comfortable diaper for sleeping.
Police said the woman faked panic attacks throughout the night, spoke in a higher pitched voice and acted emotionally dependent.
According to detectives, the suspect adopted childish behavior, such as using a bottle, a pacifier and a comfortable diaper to sleep, to continue the deception.
Police also said he faked a panic attack throughout the night, spoke in a higher-pitched voice, and acted emotionally dependent to gain attention and sympathy.
The family reportedly organized a 12th birthday party for the suspect and paid for his obesity medicine, and was also considering officially adopting him.
Investigators said he repeatedly avoided talking about formal adoption procedures and never carried identification.
Detective Rodrigo Bueno Gusso said the suspect persuaded the family not to send him to school, claiming his abusive father would find out his whereabouts.
The scam was discovered after a relative alerted the police and an investigation was launched.
Authorities said the suspect confessed during questioning and was charged with fraud and false identification before being taken to the Joinville County Jail.
Police added that the woman had similar fraud records in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Goias.
This included a case in Nova Iguacu in 2023 where she allegedly pretended to be a 12-year-old girl named ‘Maria Eduarda’ and local media claimed her real name was Amanda Maria Sousa Oliveira.
In this case, the suspect claimed to be autistic and said he had been subjected to abuse and witchcraft rituals, convincing a former city councilor and the head of a social project for vulnerable children to support him and even rent and equip him a house.
Detective Rodrigo Bueno Gusso said the suspect persuaded the family not to send him to school, claiming his abusive father would find out his whereabouts.
Authorities said the suspect confessed during questioning and was charged with fraud and false identity crimes.
There were similar fraud records in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Goias.
Police said the woman inserted nearly 100 needles into her own body to support the story that she was abused and the victim of satanic rituals.
X-rays also revealed more than 100 needles inside his body.
Although he was arrested in the 2023 case, he was released the next day after the court granted him temporary freedom within the scope of an interim measure.
There is no record of a final judgment or trial decision given against him under the names mentioned.
Because he frequently moved between multiple states using different false identities, his past cases were open or active at the time of his last arrest, rather than leading to a final conviction.
As of now, he remains in custody at the Joinville County Jail, facing current charges.
