The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and the Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu (CBJJ) have issued a permanent ban against Melqui Galvao following his arrest in the state of São Paulo on suspicion of offenses involving a minor. Both federations declared his conduct a direct violation of the sport’s core ethical standards and closed every door to sanctioned competition and participation under their umbrella. The IBJJF disabled comments on its post following the announcement.
Galvao was taken into custody after a prison warrant was issued by the Court of Justice of the State of São Paulo through a specialized court that handles cases involving children and adolescents. Documentation reviewed through the Brazilian legal database Jusbrasil.com.br places the warrant’s issuance on April 23rd, citing three counts under Law 8.069/90, Brazil’s Child and Adolescent Statute along with Law 13.441/2017. Issued under the authority of the National Council of Justice (CNJ), the warrant authorized law enforcement to seek police assistance to bring Galvao before the issuing judge. The Civil Police of Jundiaí in the state of São Paulo are leading the investigation and Galvao is reported to be in the custody of local authorities.
At the center of the case is a 13-minute audio message that Galvao reportedly sent to the father of a teenage female student. The father ultimately handed the recording to law enforcement where it now stands as evidence.
In the audio, Galvao opened by acknowledging his wrongdoing:
“I’m totally sorry. I couldn’t sleep well last night. Because of what I did, I don’t think anything can justify my behavior. As a leader, as a guy with a certain age, I couldn’t have done this behavior with your daughter.”
He also issued a warning about what going public could mean for his brand:
“Today, let me denounce you, Luis. As much as maybe there are no proofs to incriminate me, put me behind bars, it will make my name bad. As my name is next to the brand, the whole brand will fall. And a lot of people will lose opportunities with that.”
Those efforts failed. The father turned the full recording over to law enforcement and the arrest followed.
In their joint statement, the IBJJF and CBJJ expressed deep indignation over the allegations and made clear that Galvao is no longer welcome in any capacity within their organizations. Both federations acknowledged those who came forward with information, recognizing their courage and voicing hope that others with relevant accounts would feel encouraged to speak to the appropriate authorities. The organizations reaffirmed that all reported cases of misconduct will be handled with full rigor.
Calls continue to circulate urging anyone with information connected to the case to contact the appropriate authorities. No statement from Galvao or his legal representatives had been released at the time of publication.
Full Statement:
