A Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Ancenor Alves was arrested Saturday during a youth sports competition in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, where he was actively coaching children and adolescents. The arrest was made on temporary detention orders issued by the Amazonas State Justice system for charges of SA of minors and exploitation.
Globo was the first to report on the development.
The case has sent ripples through the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community, particularly after four prominent athletes – Matheus Gabriel, Ary Farias, Thalison Soares, and Meyram Alves – came forward with a joint statement revealing they were targets of abuse by a teacher during their early years in the sport.
In their statement, the athletes shared: “For years we carried the pain of a traumatic experience we’ve had: we were victims of abuse committed by a teacher, someone we should trust.”
“…we felt shame and feared reporting. This silence accompanied us for a long time, but now, with more courage, we decided to take a step forward.”
The Civil Police conducted the arrest after receiving support requests from investigators in Amazonas to locate and detain the fugitive. There were reports in Brazilian media about Alves wanting to flee to Dubai. The suspect was taken into custody and transferred to a local prison.
The athletes emphasized their goal in coming forward: ” It is essential that the sports environment, which should be a respectful learning space, be safe for everyone.”
They concluded their statement by reinforcing their “commitment to protecting the future generations of athletes, especially children and young people,” and called for increased vigilance to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities in both Santa Catarina and Amazonas coordinating their efforts.
Many BJJ champions left encouraging comments on their public statement:
