Namibian Olympic boxer Jonas Junias was allowed to fight after being charged with attempted rape
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Your support makes all the difference.Namibian boxer Jonas Junias, who carried his country's flag during the Opening Ceremonies in Rio, was allowed to compete in his scheduled fight Thursday night after being released from jail following an alleged rape.
The 22-year-old Junias was arrested Sunday night for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a housekeeper at the Olympic Village. He reportedly grabbed the woman and attempted to kiss her in a corridor on the 11th floor of the building, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. He also offered the victim money to sleep with him, according to Rio police.
The light-welterweight fighter was released from jail Thursday morning and attended his weigh-in, and the Namibian Olympic Committee released a statement saying he would compete against France's Hassan Amzile on Thursday evening. Amzile, 28, defeated Junias, 3-0.
In the statement, the committee said it was "proud to announce that our boxer Jonas Junias Jonas has been released from detention and will be competing in his boxing bout," on Thursday night, adding that the "Namibian Embassy in Brazil has worked tirelessly to ensure the release of Jonas from custody so as to enable him to participate in the Rio 2016 Games."
"I think it's important to say here that what's overriding is the justice system in this country has to take its course," IOC spokesman Mark Adams told the Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday. "I understand that he's been released pending further action, but he is free to compete. He's not been found guilty of anything as yet so my understanding is the legal system in the country takes precedence and allows him to be innocent before proven guilty."
Junias is the second boxer to be arrested for sexual assault during the Olympic games in Rio. Prior to the opening ceremony last Friday, Morocco's Hassan Saada was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two Brazilian maids in the Olympic Village. Saada was reportedly released from jail Wednesday following a habeus corpus petition from his lawyer. He faces six to 10 years in prison, according to USA Today, and has been banned from entering the Olympic Village.
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