A troubling case has surfaced in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community involving a black belt who, despite a finalized criminal conviction for sexual assault, continued to travel internationally and compete at major events.

An arrest warrant issued by São Paulo courts in March 2025 remains unserved. The individual named in the warrant, André Luís Siqueira Pinheiro, known in the Brazilian jiu jitsu community as André Motoca, carries a final conviction for sexual assault, with a 15 year sentence in a closed regime prison.

Despite this legal reality, Motoca was not in Brazil facing justice. Instead, he was actively competing on the mats in the United Arab Emirates, raising serious questions about how such a situation went unnoticed.

BJJ Girls Magazine, the Brazilian outlet that has been tracking the case, uncovered that Motoca had been traveling internationally and entering jiu jitsu tournaments while the warrant sat ignored on the National Council of Justice portal. Their reporting highlighted a major gap in oversight, where a convicted individual was able to participate in events as if no ruling had ever been issued.

The investigation eventually prompted action. Palm Sports, the organization associated with the athlete, opened its own inquiry and, following that process, suspended Motoca. He has since returned to Brazil. However, according to publicly available records, the warrant on the CNJ portal remains pending and no arrest has been carried out.

The conviction itself is not in question. Brazilian courts issued a definitive ruling, and the sentence stands at 15 years. The issue lies in the disconnect between that legal decision and what was happening in reality, where the athlete continued to compete internationally without restriction.

In fact, he was still registered to compete under the UAEJJF in an upcoming masters tournament scheduled for May 15.

The jiu jitsu community, both in Brazil and globally, has taken notice. The case has exposed a major structural weakness in the sport. There is currently no unified global system that allows event organizers or federations to screen athletes against criminal conviction databases.

This situation illustrates how easily individuals can cross borders and enter competitions without any automatic flag being raised. It also raises deeper questions about responsibility within the sport, and whether organizers should implement stricter verification processes moving forward.

For now, André Motoca is back in Brazil. The warrant remains open. And the case continues to cast a shadow over the sport, forcing the community to confront uncomfortable but necessary questions about safety, accountability, and oversight.

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