Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete Brenda Larissa has come forward with a deeply troubling account of abuse she says she endured for 14 years at the hands of coach Melqui Galvao. In a video testimony, Larissa described how the relationship began when she was just 12 years old, and how Galvao used her difficult circumstances to manipulate both her and her family.
Larissa grew up in a humble household, raised by a single mother in a precarious situation, sometimes arriving at training with nothing to eat. It was in this context that Galvao made his approach, presenting what appeared to be a life-changing opportunity.
“He talked to me, talked to my mother, and he made her a proposal. He said that if I continued dedicating myself, if I continued training and doing everything he said, if I obeyed him, I would have a great future, that I would be a great champion, I would be able to change my family’s history, I would be able to help my mother financially,” Larissa recalled.
The offer included sponsorships, kimonos, registration fees, and a private school scholarship. But Larissa says the cost was devastating.
“The day came when I had to pay for all of that, because he came to me and said it wasn’t free, that I was going to have to pay, and I paid in the worst way possible. He abused me.”
At 16, she learned she was not the only one being abused. When Galvao’s wife began noticing suspicious purchase records tied to Larissa, she says Galvao devised a plan to cover his tracks.
“This plan made me date a boy from the gym, against my will. That was the plan, to disguise it so his wife wouldn’t find out that I was also being abused by him.”
Even after Larissa moved to São Paulo and went on to win a world championship in the blue belt division, she says Galvao continued pursuing contact with her.
“He always had a relationship with me, he always kept in touch with me. All these years he always encouraged me, always texted me.”
The harassment, she says, continued as recently as her birthday this past February 9th.
“He texted me with a picture of me as a child, saying, ‘I’m sorry for my past mistakes. I’m sorry I wasn’t the father you should have had.'”
She described the message as deeply distressing, saying it brought on a panic attack and flooded her with painful memories.
Larissa has since filed a formal complaint and revealed that her sister, who she says was also abused by Galvao, has done the same. She made the video to encourage other women who have not yet come forward.
“I want to tell you that these past 14 years have been filled with great fear, and I want to assure you that this fear is over,” she said. “From the moment I put my God above that fear. This fear is not greater than my God.”
[Editor’s Note: Quotes have been translated and edited for readability and clarity.]
