Two Paralympians, trainer from Jordan charged with sexual assault

King Abdullah has taken an interest in the case and promised the men would be returned for future court appearances.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Two wheelchair-bound powerlifters and a trainer have been released on bail


• The three men are accused of sexual assault


• The men were in Northern Ireland training ahead of the Paralympic Games

Coleraine, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- Two wheelchair-bound members of Jordan's paralympic team and a trainer have been released on bail in Northern Ireland after an embassy official promised they would be returned to face sexual assault charges.

The three members of the Jordanian team were arrested after two girls and two women filed complaints alleging sexual assault by the men, police said.

The men, who were training at a sports complex in Antrim, 35 kilometers (22 miles) northwest of Belfast, are accused of assaulting the women and girls over a four day period, beginning August 16, police said. The men have denied the charges.

Powerlifter Omar Sami Qaradhi, 31, has been charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of sexual assault against a woman and one count of voyeurism, according to charges read during a hearing in Coleraine, County Londonderry.

Powerlifter Motaz al-Juneidi, 45, was charged with sexual assault against a woman.

Trainer Faisal Hammash, 35, was charged with two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

King Abdullah has taken a personal interest in the case and promised the men would be returned for future court appearances, a Jordanian embassy official said during the hearing.

The two athletes and the trainer, meanwhile, were withdrawn from competition and have returned to Jordan, according to a statement released by the International Paralympic Committee.

Source & Image : CNN World