Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu and the Fight Sports affiliation have been implicated in another instance of sexual assault and are now involved in a second lawsuit.
This is not the first time that abuse has occurred at a Fight Sports affiliate, and it raises concerns about the safety of young BJJ athletes. In 2018, Marcel Goncalves, a BJJ black belt under Abreu, engaged in a sexual relationship with one of his minor students, resulting in a lawsuit naming Abreu and Fight Sports. Although the affiliation was not held liable for the incident, the criminal case is still ongoing.
The second lawsuit naming Fight Sports and Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu involves another affiliated gym. Rodrigo da Costa Oliveira, a coach at Rockstar Martial Arts Gym in Frisco, Texas, met Mandy Schneider when she was only 13 years old. According to the lawsuit, Schneider was due to compete at Submission Hunter Pro 60 in 2020 and traveled to the event alone with Oliveira. Once they arrived at the hotel, Oliveira allegedly lured Schneider into his room and pressured her to drink alcohol, despite her being a minor. The lawsuit claims that he then suggested they spar together and used that as a pretext to commit a brutal sexual assault on her, allegedly forcing himself on her in multiple ways.
After returning home from the event, Schneider reported the incident to the then-managers of Rockstar Martial Arts, Nicole Bilski and Cody Hudson. Under Texas law, Bilski and Hudson were required to report the incident of abuse of a minor to both Schneider’s parents and law enforcement. However, they allegedly attempted to conceal the incident and even told Schneider that the sexual assault was her fault, ordering her to stay quiet.
Police were only notified of the incident on November 12, 2020, when Schneider’s father filed a police report after she told her parents about the assault.
Schneider spoke to FOX 26 Houston, stating that she hopes her story sparks important conversations in the Jiu-Jitsu community about safety, awareness of sexual abuse related to minor athletes and their coaches, and zero tolerance for abuse. The other incident involving Marcel Goncalves was also mentioned in this second sexual assault lawsuit, with Schneider’s lawyer, Michelle Simpson Tuegel, stating that the repeated failures of Roberto Abreu and Fight Sports to ensure the safety of underage athletes have fostered an environment ripe for such abuse. The aim of the lawsuit is not only to secure justice for Schneider but also to hold accountable all those who failed in their duty to protect her.
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