Second Olympic boxer arrested after sexual assault accusations
RIO DE JANEIRO — A second Olympic boxer has been accused by a housekeeper in the athletes' village of sexual assault.
Jonas Junis, a 22-year-old boxer from Namibia who was the country's flag bearer during the opening ceremony, was accused by a maid of grabbing her, kissing her forcefully, and then offering her money to have sexual relations with him, according to a report from O Globo. Brazilian police arrested him after the maid reported the alleged incident to the police. He is expected to be transferred to the sprawling Bangu prison complex in Rio's far west zone, where Brazilian suspects accused of petty and violent crimes await trials and carry out their sentences.
Olympic officials confirmed on Monday that Junis was arrested, but said they could not comment on the specific charges he's facing or the investigation by local police. Rio's civil police confirmed in a statement he was arrested on rape charges. Brazilian law considers any non-consensual sexual act as rape.
If convicted, Junis could face six to 10 years in prison.
"Brazilian law needs to be respected and this is something that we have to agree on," said Mario Andrada, spokesman for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. "What we need to do is make sure that all the legal procedures are being followed and we understand that they have."
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International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said security has been paramount at the Olympic Village, a collection of high-rise apartments near the main Olympic Park where most of the 11,000 athletes competing in the Games are staying.
"Security is very tight at the village, in terms of entry and exit," Adams said. "Security is being tightened all the way through."
Female maids interviewed by USA TODAY Sports as they left work expressed skepticism about the security offered to women who work inside, as maids often enter into athletes' rooms with the guests present and are unable to communicate in their languages.
"We have no security. We go into the room and the guest could be there. And people generally fetishize women from Rio," said Maria Lucia, an employee of the Olympic Village's cleaning staff, as she left the premises to catch a ride home. She said that the locals hired to work as cleaning staff, often women and from working-class backgrounds, feel sensitive about speaking up and that they can be "easier to take advantage of."
Jessyk, who works on the cleaning staff and asked to only use her first name for fear of reprisal, said she had "nothing to complain about" in the sector where she works, but that she also thought women should not be required to go into guests' rooms alone without a superior looking on or security in the hallway. Two other maids told USA Today said they were prohibited by their employer from speaking with the press.
Junis' arrest follows a similar incident last week, when boxer Hassan Saada from Morocco was accused of sexual assault by two maids in the athletes' village. The female employees accused the athlete of thrusting his body against one of them, attempting to kiss her and groping a maid's breasts. Saada is also being detained in the Bangu prison complex.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) released a statement that said it has confidence that Brazilian authorities will handle the case of the Namibian boxer appropriately and would not comment further.
Contributing: Alan Gomez
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