Rebecca Bernardo, an 18-year-old high school student, has made the decision to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder, inspired by a 20-year-old Brazilian who recently sold hers for $780,000. This decision comes three months after that auction.
In an effort to raise funds for her mother, who is currently ill following a stroke, she has chosen this unconventional route.
After revealing her auction on YouTube, the native of Sapeacu has already received three bids, with the highest at $35,000. She shared, ‘After my 18th birthday, I was determined. My mother had a stroke just then.’
Miss Bernardo attempted various jobs, including waiting tables, but found the cost of hiring a caretaker for her bedridden mother was far too steep to sustain on her hourly pay.
Her mother remains unable to feed herself or use the bathroom without assistance.
A neighbor highlighted that Rebecca’s older sister had died years prior, and she never had the chance to know her father.
‘She has no one to turn to for help,’ the neighbor stated. ‘This is the only way she sees out.’
However, Miss Bernardo’s mother expressed her belief from her bed that her daughter ‘should seek employment.’
‘She should not resort to prostitution,’ she remarked.
In Brazil, adult prostitution, which involves trading sex for money, is legal.
A local mechanic noted that after her video posted, which garnered 3,000 views within a day, people in the street began tossing coins at her.
Now, after a month of the auction, the teen’s highest bid stands at $35,000, significantly less than the $780,000 raised through online auction by fellow Brazilian virgin Catarina Migilorini in October.
This auction formed part of an Australian documentary titled Virgins Wanted, intending to bring Miss Migilorini, who is currently in Bali awaiting a visa, to Australia for the encounter, where she will be interviewed before and after.
If the act proceeds, it will be despite the efforts of Brazil’s attorney general, Joao Pedro de Saboia Bandeira de Mello Filho, who has initiated an ‘urgent investigation’ labeling the auction as ‘human trafficking.’
Despite accepting money for sex, Miss Migilorini has denied being a prostitute.
At that time, she stated: ‘Engaging in it once doesn’t make you a prostitute, much like taking one exceptional photo doesn’t instantly qualify you as a photographer.’
Rebecca acknowledged Miss Migilorini’s influence on her, remarking that it awoke in her the realization of her virginity being a potential asset and commodity.
‘There comes a moment when decisions need to be made for what you desire. One must be strong,’ she expressed.
Yet, she also mentioned: ‘It’s a heavy responsibility to handle by oneself. I’m not fully equipped for this.’
Recently, she turned down a local television network’s proposal to cover her mother’s medical bills if she ceased the auction, as she aims to relocate with her mother as well.
by Sasha Dubronitz
