LONDON (Reuters) – UK Athletics and its former head of sport have been charged over the death of Abdullah Hayayei in 2017 when the Paralympic athlete was training in London, British prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Hayayei, from the United Arab Emirates, was preparing for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships at the Newham Leisure Centre when a metal throwing cage fell on him.
The 36-year-old athlete — who had made his debut in the javelin and shot put at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro — was pronounced dead at the scene.
UK Athletics has been charged with corporate manslaughter and an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement.
The CPS said the governing body’s former head of sport Keith Davies, 77, was also charged, with gross negligence manslaughter and an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Both UK Athletics and Davies are due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Jan. 31.
UK Athletics did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Davies could not be reached for comment.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin)
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