The Public Ministry of Venezuela has charged the judoka and medalist paralympian <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/10/paralympic-judo-medalist-from-venezuela-is-arrested-for-accusation-of-sexual-abuse-against-three-underage-athletes/" title="Paralympic judo medalist from Venezuela is arrested for accusation of sexual abuse against three underage athletes”>Marcos José Falcón Tovar for alleged crimes of sexual abuse against three minors. According to information from various local media, the Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the victims, between 15 and 17 years old, reported that Falcón harassed them and carried out inappropriate touching during training in the state of Miranda.
The 42-year-old athlete was arrested after complaints were filed on October 1. According to official information, the young women reported that the aggressor, under the pretext of improving their performance in the discipline, demanded that they spend the night with him at his residence.
The local police arrested the athlete on the same day of the complaints and have formally accused him of the crimes of sexual abuse without penetration and sexual harassment. Falcón remains in custody at a police headquarters in Miranda, while the investigation progresses
The case has generated a strong impact in Venezuela, since Falcón Tovar was a prominent figure in Paralympic sports. His victory in London 2012, where he won the bronze medal in judo, had made him a national reference. However, serious accusations have called his legacy into question, and the case has reignited the debate about the protection of young athletes in the country.
This scandal coincides with the recent inauguration of a prosecutor’s office specialized in crimes of sexual abuse against minors, created by Attorney General Tarek William Saab in collaboration with Unicef. This prosecutor’s office seeks to combat the growing wave of abuses in Venezuela, where 278 cases of rape of minors have been recorded between March and July of this year, according to data from the Network for the Human Rights of Children and Adolescents (Redhnna). @mundiario
