37-Year-Old Woman Arrested for Pretending to be Abused 12-Year-Old in Brazil
Woman, 37, is 'adopted' by unwitting family for 14 months after convincing them she was a 12-year-old who had fled abusive parents
Mail Online
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A 37-year-old woman was arrested in Joinville, Brazil, after deceiving a family into believing she was a 12-year-old girl escaping abuse. She lived with them for 14 months, adopting childlike behaviors and using a fake identity. Previous similar scams were reported across multiple Brazilian states.
- 01The suspect, using the alias 'Gabriele', convinced a family she was a 12-year-old girl fleeing abuse, living with them for 14 months.
- 02She adopted childlike behaviors, including using baby bottles and pacifiers, to maintain her deception.
- 03The family organized a birthday party and considered formal adoption, unaware of her true age.
- 04The fraud was uncovered after a relative alerted the police, leading to her arrest on June 2.
- 05The suspect has a history of similar scams across several Brazilian states, including posing as a 12-year-old named 'Maria Eduarda' earlier in 2023.
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In a bizarre case of deception, a 37-year-old woman was arrested in the Pirabeiraba district of Joinville, Brazil, after convincing a family to adopt her by posing as a 12-year-old girl named 'Gabriele'. For approximately 14 months, she lived with the family, claiming to have fled from abusive parents in the northern state of Para. The woman adopted various childlike behaviors, such as using baby bottles and pacifiers, to maintain her facade. She also claimed to suffer from autism and other medical conditions to explain her adult appearance. The family, emotionally attached to her, even organized a birthday party and contemplated formal adoption. The ruse was uncovered when a relative reported her to the authorities, prompting an investigation that revealed her history of similar scams across multiple Brazilian states. Upon her arrest on June 2, she confessed to the deception and was charged with fraud and false identity offenses. As of now, she remains in custody at Joinville Regional Prison.
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The case raises concerns about the vulnerability of families to scams and the psychological manipulation involved.
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