The 2016 Olympics have been plagued by stories of crime. Rio isn’t the safest city in the world, and athletes have had to take care when venturing out.
But it looks like they’ll have to start taking care even inside the Olympic Village, as an Olympic spokesman confirmed that an athlete had been robbed by an employee of the Village.
“I can confirm the case,” said Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada, who did not name the athletes or their nation of origin. “I can also confirm that the person has been arrested and that the money has been given back to its rightful owner.”
According to Fernando Olivieri of Yahoo Brazil, the athlete lost a total of $20,000 in the theft. (Why the athlete had $20,000 in the Olympic Athletes Village, we’re not sure, but that McDonald’s isn’t going to buy itself…)
Andrada said there’s already been a reaction to the incident from the organizers, as far as security. “I can confirm that security has been upgraded in the village in several instances,” he said, but said the measures must be kept undisclosed. “The fact that the person was arrested means they are working,” he said.
This follows previous instances of theft, including when the Australian team were robbed after they were forced out of their housing during a fire alarm.
The Olympics have struggled with these stories on the side, from the diving pool turning green to water cascading down the stairwells in athlete’s housing. Many things are beyond the control of the organizers, but when it comes to safety and security for the athletes within the confines of the Olympic Village itself, that can’t be in question.
[Yahoo]
