Legal Rep: Video Proves Rafael de Freitas is Innocent of Sexual Assault Allegations
Rafael de Freitas is denying the sexual assault charges levied against him by one of his students stemming from an incident on Nov. 7.
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The full statement, which was first obtained by MMAjunkie.com , is as follows:
We represent Rafael de
Freitas Barata, a well-loved and very accomplished ju-jitsu
practitioner. To date, the public has received one-sided reports of
sexual assault based on the word of the alleged victim and a video,
which no news agency or the public has seen. We have now watched
the video. Let us be clear: these charges are false.
The video proves Mr. de Freitas’ innocence of a crime. We will present evidence that she invited Mr. de Freitas over that morning in texts, poured alcohol and had liquid THC, and her actions and responses during the video reflect a completely consensual encounter. Her statements to police also show that she had had motives to bring these false charges.
Mr. de Freitas willingly admits and is remorseful about making a terrible error in his marriage and towards his wife. But he is absolutely innocent of any criminal sexual assault and his and his family’s name and reputation have been falsely maligned. We are asking everyone to reserve judgment until all of the evidence is presented in court.
According to a police report obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, de Freitas is seen “possibly” dropping a substance into the woman’s orange juice while she is in the bathroom. The woman, who had been taking lessons from de Freitas for several years, had the instructor in her home to get a massage to alleviate cramping in her legs. The victim claims she began “feeling sleepy” and “quickly passed out” as de Freitas began the massage.
When the woman awoke, she was naked from the waist down. When she messaged de Freitas to express her embarrassment, he responded, “Yeah, you were fine don’t feel this way at all you’re good.”
According to security footage given to the police, the woman’s legs appear to get “heavy” during the massage and de Freitas is seen removing her shorts, where he allegedly performs oral sex on her while she is passed out. The instructor also appears to rub the woman’s “limp” hand on his genitals before leaving. The woman remains motionless on the couch for 50 minutes before getting up.
The victim told police that de Freitas is flirtatious with her and other clients and that she sometimes “found his behavior inappropriate” but there was never any romantic involvement between the two.
De Freitas is a primary instructor Gracie Barra New Mexico Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Albuquerque and also helped corner Holly Holm for her victory over Irene Aldana in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. Jackson-Wink MMA released a statement to the Journal denying that de Freitas has ever been an employee of the gym. De Freitas compiled a 6-1-1 record as a professional mixed martial artist and was defeated during the elimination round on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
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