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Namibian Olympian accused of sexual assault

August 9, 2016

An Olympic boxer for Namibia has been arrested on charges he attempted to sexually assault a housekeeper in Rio's Olympic Village. He is the second boxer to face such a charge at this year's games.

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Braislien Olympisches Dorf in Rio
Image: picture alliance/Photoshot

The 22-year-old boxer from Namibia had carried his nation's flag into the arena for the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics on Friday night, but he is now out of the games and in police custody.

On Monday he was arrested and charged with sexual assault after allegedly kissing and groping the Brazilian housekeeper as she cleaned. His coach stood by and watched, according to a report on the local G1 news site.

"She was cleaning another room. He grabbed her from behind and gave her a kiss on the neck," police spokeswoman Carolina Salomao told G1. He then allegedly made sexually suggestive gestures and offered the woman money, the spokeswoman said. "This shows a lack of respect for Brazilian women," she added.

The coach is not to face charges, but the spokeswoman commented that he "should have reprimanded him, at a minimum." If the boxer is found guilty he faces a jail term of between six and 10 years.

The International Boxing Association issued a statement saying it had "taken note of the serious allegations towards a Namibian boxer who was due to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately."

The boxer was due to fight on Thursday. His opponent will advance with a walkover after the boxer was handed an automatic loss for his qualifying bout.

The arrest comes just two days after police arrested a 22-year-old Moroccan boxer on suspicion of sexually assaulting two female workers in the Olympic Village. He is being held for 15 days while officials conduct an investigation. He will no longer compete at the Rio Olympics.

jm/bw (AP, AFP)