Father of Croatian Olympic Gold Medalist Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault in Paris Over Forcible Kiss on Volunteer
The father of an Olympic gold medal judo star has reportedly been arrested in Paris for an alleged sexual assault on a volunteer at the Games.
Croatia’s Barbara Matic won gold in the women’s 70kg judo category on Wednesday, triumphing over Germany’s Olympic debutant Miriam Butkereit. This victory marked Croatia’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
However, the celebration was overshadowed by the arrest of Matic’s father for an alleged sexual assault on a volunteer at the Games. Police investigating the incident took him into custody on Thursday, where he is being questioned regarding the complainant’s claim, as reported by BFM TV.
It is alleged that the father of the gold medal Olympian forcibly kissed the volunteer following Matic’s quarter-final win, which secured her a spot on the podium. The 24-year-old volunteer, who was working at the Arena Champs-de-Mars, reportedly tried to reject the advance from the judo star’s father and later decided to report the incident to the police.
According to a BFM source, the volunteer indicated that “the father of a champion imposed a kiss on her mouth after an Olympic event.” French media also claims the father remained in police custody throughout Thursday.