In an uncanny instance of life imitating art, a woman is being hunted by the police for obsessively stalking a man in an eerily similar way to Martha Scott in Netflix’s smash-hit drama, which has led to her being dubbed “the Brazilian Baby Reindeer.”
Although Martha’s real-life inspiration Fiona Harvey denies the veracity of the depiction of the character in the show, starring and created by Richard Gadd, especially that she was ever arrested or spent time in jail, it seems this case is much more clear-cut. 23-year-old Kawara Welch stands accused of various counts of obsessive and violent stalker behavior towards her doctor, after he saved her life six years ago.
The police have been on the hunt for Welch since issuing a warrant for her arrest in May 2023. But who is “the Brazilian Baby Reindeer” and what did she do?
What happened between Kawara Welch and the doctor who saved her life?
Welch, a nutrition student and fashion model from the Uberlandia municipality, was treated by a medical professional for depression six years ago, but after he helped her through this difficult time, she became obsessed with him, stalking him, following, and “chasing him” on numerous occasions. Welch became convinced that there was a deep connection between the pair and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
The unnamed doctor told Brazilian site Fantastico (via the Toronto Sun) that Welch would harass him constantly, even waiting behind corners near his practice so she could follow him home after work. “She said that it wasn’t a coincidence, that no one saves someone else’s life so many times out of the blue, that there was something more to it, he said.
Welch eventually got hold of his phone number and proceeded to send him seriously troubling messages. “She had access to my cellphone and started sending really disturbing messages and photos, tying a sheet, a rope around her neck, saying goodbye to me,” he recalled. “I panicked.”
Obviously, the doctor changed his number, but whatever he did, Welch always seemed to find him out again. “I changed my cell phone number three or four times, but I stopped changing because I saw it was completely useless,” he explained. “She had an incredible ability to find my new number.”
Welch’s behavior intensified over time, and she allegedly called the doctor 500 times, as well as sending him a total of 1,300 emails, in a single day. She likewise pestered his family, threatening to tell his son that they were romantically involved. Most egregiously, in 2022, she broke into his office and attacked his wife.
All told, the doctor filed 42 police reports against Welch, leading to a restraining order being issued in 2020, which she refused to comply with. In March 2023, a warrant was issued for her arrest but Welch vanished, making her a fugitive from the law. Finally, on May 8, 2024, Welch was arrested by the authorities in Ituiutaba, Brazil.
On top of being charged with stalking, which carries a two-year sentence in Brazil, Welch is accused of theft, threats, and extortion. Her attorney, Jean Alves, maintains that evidence suggests she and her doctor were romantically involved at some stage, however Civil Police Chief Rafael Faria states that authorities “believe there was no such relationship.”
That said, even if further evidence emerges pointing to this, Faria stresses that this does not excuse Welch’s behavior: “And, even if there were, it does not in any way justify this type of action, this type of conduct by Kawara.”
