August 29th 2024.
Authorities in France are currently investigating the sudden disappearance of a Paralympian from Rwanda, who was reported missing more than a week after they went missing. The Prosecution Service of Nanterre, where the Rwandan delegation is staying, confirmed the launch of the investigation on Thursday.
According to the authorities, the athlete in question had gone missing on August 20, but the incident was not reported until Tuesday. The Rwandan Olympic Committee has not yet responded to any requests for comments on the matter. Reports from wire service Agence France-Presse state that, according to a police source, the sitting volleyball athlete had left the team's accommodation in Courbevoie, a town located in the north-west of Paris, at around 7pm on the day of their disappearance, supposedly to go to a restaurant. However, they never returned.
The president of the Rwandan Olympic Committee reported the athlete as missing at around 1pm on Tuesday, as per the same source. It was also mentioned that the para-athlete had not taken part in the Paralympic opening ceremony, and that the Rwandan ambassador had been informed of the situation.
In a statement, the prosecutors announced that the Prosecution Service of Nanterre's Court has assigned the investigation to the BRDP, a specialized police service. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that an athlete has gone missing during a major sporting event such as the Paralympics. In the past, at least 20 athletes have disappeared from the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, with many of them later applying for refugee status.
Similar incidents have also occurred in the past, with seven athletes disappearing from the Olympic village in London in 2012, and several others overstaying their visas or seeking asylum during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000. These disappearances have raised concerns about the well-being and safety of athletes, as well as the ease with which they can disappear from major events and seek refuge in other countries.
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