The father of Croatian judoka Barbara Matic, an Olympic champion in the 70kg weight category, was arrested in Paris for kissing a Games volunteer on the lips without consent after his daughter’s triumph, French authorities said on Thursday.
The French prosecutor’s office said the arrest, which took place on Thursday, followed a complaint from the victim, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
The incident occurred during the quarter-finals when Matic’s father grabbed the 24-year-old volunteer by the shoulders and kissed her at an unauthorised party venue before fleeing the scene.
The volunteer filed a report with the police department of the seventh district, where the Olympic judo competitions are taking place: the criminal was called to give a statement and placed in custody pending investigation.
A year ago, then-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed player Jennifer Hermoso during the handover of the Women’s World Cup trophy, a gesture that proved decisive in his resignation from office when the case went to court, with a trial scheduled for early 2025.