Orphans as young as four are forced to parade in front of potential foster parents for 'adoption catwalk show' likened to a slav

Some 18 children trooped on to stage in shopping centre in Matto Grosso, Brazil

Orphans were expected to produce themselves, with hair, clothes and makeup

The catwalk came under fire from public figures who branded it 'devastating'

An 'adoption catwalk show' which saw orphans as young as four parade in front of prospective foster parents has been likened to a slave market amid an outpouring of public fury.

Some 18 Brazilian children trooped on to a stage inside a shopping centre in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso state, on Tuesday night hoping to catch the eye of potential adopters.

The local adoption agency billed the event as 'a night when suitors - people who are fit to adopt - can get to know the children who are eligible for adoption'.

But the spectacle of orphans being forced to pose on the catwalk has been slammed, with some even branding the treatment of the children to that expected of animals or slaves.

Eduardo Mahon, a lawyer from the state of Mato Grosso, wrote on Twitter: 'Children parading, for suitors to see how beautiful, friendly and delectable they are, it seems to me like an old slave market, where people saw the teeth and the body of Africans in order to make their bid.

'I don't think it's cool, in fact I think it sucks.'

Guilherme Boulos, a presidential candidate in Brazil's recent elections, wrote: 'The "adoption catwalk" in Cuiaba, exposing children from four to 17 so prospective parents can choose them in an unbelievable perversity.

'The psychological effects of exposure, the expectation and the frustration of these children may be devastating, even if the intention was different.'

And former congresswoman Manuela D'Avila, posted on Instagram: 'I think this is one of the saddest stories I've ever read.

'Children on a catwalk, full of dreams and desires, seeking approval by parading, as if to love a child we need to admire them physically.'

Roughly 200 people flocked to the stage to watch the event which was meant to be 'a different day for the children in which they will produce themselves, with hair, clothes and makeup for the parade.'

Last night the public defenders office of the state of Mato Grosso said in a statement: 'There is a risk that most of these children and adolescents will not be adopted, which can generate serious feelings of frustration, damage to self-esteem and lasting psychological impact.'

The president of the Mato Grosso Adoption Research and Support Association (Ampara), which organised the event, said the local children's judge had authorised the show.

He said: 'We're a serious organisation, we don't play around with children's feelings.

'All the children had already been presented to diverse families, in orphanages, but no-one adopted them.'

A spokesman for the Pantanal Shopping Centre said it 'repudiates the objectification of children' but believed the event was to raise awareness about adoption in the state.