Mauritius Commonwealth Games team leader quits over sexual assault allegations
The Mauritius chef de mission resigned on the eve of the 2018 Commonwealth Games amid allegations of sexual assault.
Kaysee Teeroovengadum quit on Tuesday, one day before the Games opening ceremony, after accusations of inappropriate ‘touching’ were made against him by a female member of the Mauritian team.
Police confirmed Wednesday they had received a complaint of inappropriate sexual behavior with an investigation expected to follow, which includes interviewing Teeroovengadum at the Games’ athletes village.
Teeroovengadum stood down after a series of crisis meetings involving the Mauritian government and the nation’s sporting authorities.
“After meeting with the members of the Olympic Committee and listening to the versions of the two people concerned, Kaysee Teeroovengadum made the decision to withdraw for the benefit of everyone and so that things could calm down,” the country’s minister of youth and sports, Stephan Toussaint, said.
Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg said: “We take these matters incredibly seriously and there is a zero tolerance to these situations and our absolute focus is on safety and respect for individuals.”
The 2018 Commonwealth Games opened on Wednesday April 4 and will run through to April 15 in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
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