Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu Sued Over Alleged Sexual Assault Cover-Up

The 7-time World NOGI BJJ Champion, Roberto Abreu has been sued by a woman for allegedly covering up a sexual assault on her that she claims happened in one of his gyms. This accusation comes after one of Roberto’s former instructors, Marcel Goncalves, who was teaching in Fight Sports’ Miami, had been charged with 3 counts of sexual assault of a minor before escaping to Brazil in 2018.

The lawsuit against Cyborg alleges that Abreu was very much aware of the events unfolding in his gyms but he deliberately covered them up. The attorneys allege they can detail months of abuse by Goncalves that continued even after Abreu was notified of their frequent occurrence and severity.

This also brings into attention the third, if not the final, allegation against Abreu involving a Moroccan visual artist who claims she was sexually assaulted at a Fight Sports training camp in Brazil in 2016, and when Abreu was notified of it, he pressured the victim into dropping the charges.

While no accusation is alleging Abreu directly assaulted anyone, the victim’s attorney, Michelle Simpson Tuegel, said, “While Marcel Gonçalves committed these despicable acts, Abreu and Fight Sports enabled the abuse and failed to ensure the safety of the minors under their care. We sadly expect there are other victims in this sport, and we would encourage them to report the abuse so the adults who failed to protect minor athletes are held accountable.”

With regards to the complaint, the victim, (Jane Doe), alleges the first assault happened at Goncalves’ Naples home in December of 2017, when he was giving the victim a massage. The victim, who was 16 at the time of the assault, was also a family friend Goncalves had known for 5 years.

Although the investigation is ongoing, it is paramount that more victims, if they’re out there, report it to the authorities in order to protect the sport as well as its practitioners.

Photo credit: bjjheroes