The fighter of jiu-jitsu Brenda Larissa, 27, was the first to go public to talk about allegations of sexual and moral abuse against coach Melqui Galvão, who is temporarily detained for 30 days since April 27th, in Manaus (AM), on charges of sexual crimes against underage students.
The suspicions involve rape of vulnerablesexual harassment, threat and invasion of an electronic device. The case came under investigation when a 17-year-old student reported the coach in São Paulo. Melqui denies the accusations.
Brenda reported in a 20-minute video on Instagram. According to her account, the “14-year torture” began when she was just 12 years old and entered Galvão’s gym in the capital of Amazonas.
Because she was going through difficulties, walking an hour every day to training and sometimes even going hungry, she says she accepted financial help, food and clothing from Melqui. He even got a scholarship to a private school where his own children studied and promised career success and sponsorship.
“He said that I could change my family’s life. And my mother also saw that it was a family environment, where his children also trained. But there came a day when (Melqui) said that I would have to pay for everything. Until the abuse started and I paid in the worst way possible. He abused me and this abuse continued for a long time”, he stated.
Brenda said that, at the age of 16, she discovered that other students at the academy were also being abused by Galvão. “In my head I thought I was the only one going through that hell, but it wasn’t. Others were living it too.”
The fighter, who had 74 wins and 29 losses in her career, said that at that time the woman de Galvão found out about the abuse and saw the purchases he made for Brenda, but the coach allegedly came up with a plan for her to date a boy from the gym, to disguise it so his wife wouldn’t find out that she was also being abused.
Afterwards, Brenda said that Melqui Galvão created a project in the United States and invited some athletes to go with him there. She was also called out, as was her boyfriend at the time.
The fighter, however, was unable to obtain a permanent visa and only competed in the World Championships —she was a blue belt champion—, returning to Brazil and settling in São Paulo with her boyfriend. During this period, Galvão became a little distant, but she claims that the harassment never ended.
“He never stopped controlling me. He always kept in touch with me and coerced me, sending messages. Because I already knew who he was, everything he had been through, he knew that I was going to do everything he wanted.”
As soon as she returned to Manaus, during the Covid pandemicto see her mother, who was sick, she claims that she suffered psychological pressure again and he forced her to continue training with him.
She stayed until Galvão set up another gym in Jundiaí (SP), where she went with her boyfriend. In 2023, with the accusation of doping against Melqui Galvão’s son, Mica Galvão, Brenda says that the coach walked away from training, leaving the students without instruction.
It was at this time that she and her boyfriend left the gym. Even so, she claims, Melqui always sent messages pressuring her and even telling her to break up with her boyfriend and return to training with him.
“He kept sending me messages, making proposals, trying to convince me to come back. He was a torturer. Even before he was arrested, he was still enjoying my things. It was 14 years of physical and mental torture”, he says.
At the end of the video, Brenda states that she decided to speak out to give strength to other girls who have also been victims of the coach, like her sister.
“I’m making this video for me and my sister. He raped her too, just like he did me. I’m also making this video to encourage other girls to come forward. I want to say that I feel your pain. It was horrible having to hear my sister’s testimony and it was horrible for her to hear mine.”
Finally, she revealed that she felt scared throughout the time she was under the trainer’s control.
“I was very scared. It was 14 years of a lot of fear. And I want to tell you that this fear ended from the moment I put my God above this fear. I want (the video) to reach them, so that they can also report it and so that justice can be done.”
What Melqui Galvão’s defense says
In a note released by lawyer Átila Machado last Saturday (2), coach Melqui Galvão denied having committed the crimes. “The defense reiterates that Melquisedeque Galvão remains at the disposal of the competent authorities, trusts in the regular functioning of the institutions and awaits the complete elucidation of the facts.”
His defense states that Melqui Galvão has “an unblemished functional record, having worked for years in public security, training, personal defense and training activities, always with dedication to public service and fulfilling the duties inherent to the position.”
