The truth about the "Japanese girl from CV": how fake news confused the web and became a nationally publicized case.
The name "Japinha do CV" has once again dominated social media in recent weeks , after a series of photos and videos attributed to the alleged member of Comando Vermelho went viral amidst Operation "Contenção," launched in Rio de Janeiro. The young woman was even reported dead in clashes with the police , and her image circulated on news profiles, blogs, and online forums.
But, as revealed by the BNews portal in a report written by Tiago Di Araújo and published on November 5, 2025, everything indicates that the woman who gained fame as the "muse of crime" was not who everyone thought she was.
'Penelope' and the theory of confused identities
Lawyer Lais Albuquerque brought a new version of the case to light. In a post on her Instagram profile, she stated that "Japinha do CV" and "Penélope" were, in fact, two different people.
According to the lawyer's investigation, the photos that went viral and were associated with the gang member were of Maria Eduarda , known on social media as Penélope, a young woman with no involvement in drug trafficking, who allegedly only posed with weapons belonging to friends linked to crime.
"While some say that 'Penélope da CV' was never involved in drug trafficking and only took photos with weapons, others claim that she was confused with the real 'Japinha do CV' and that the media mixed everything up," wrote Lais Albuquerque. She also reported that, after the repercussion, Maria Eduarda archived old posts on her Instagram accounts, leaving only dark and neutral photos.
The body attributed to 'Japin...
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