An Australian field hockey athlete has spoken out following his arrest for buying cocaine in Paris.
Tom Craig, a 28-year-old striker for the Kookaburras, was taken into custody on Tuesday night in the Pigalle district of the French capital after authorities observed him purchasing drugs near a building in the 9th arrondissement.
Reports indicate that Craig, who is also a qualified solicitor, tried to escape from the police before realizing he couldn’t outrun them.
After spending the night detained, he was released on Wednesday afternoon without facing charges or receiving a fine.
Craig made a brief statement before departing in a vehicle arranged by the Australian Olympic Committee.
‘I want to start by apologising for the events of the past 24 hours. I made a significant error and I fully accept responsibility for my actions,’ he stated.
‘My actions are solely mine and do not represent the values of my family, teammates, friends, my sport, or the Australian Olympic Committee. I have let you all down, and I sincerely apologize.’
The Narcotics Brigade of the Paris police is conducting the investigation into Craig.
In a statement, the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed that ‘an Australian hockey team member is in custody following an arrest in Paris on August 6’.
Tom Craig expresses remorse after being caught buying cocaine in Paris post the Kookaburras’ elimination from the Games
The moment the Olympian was arrested by police in Paris
Tom Craig was arrested overnight for purchasing cocaine in Paris
‘No charges have been filed,’ the statement said.
‘The AOC is continuing to investigate and provide support for the team member.’
On Wednesday night (AEST), Craig participated in a summary hearing with his legal team.
It’s believed that Craig’s arrest occurred just 15 minutes after he left an event with the Australian team.
A photo obtained by 7News captures the moment the 28-year-old was apprehended.
He is seen sitting on the ground with his hands behind his back as officers conducted their investigation.
Bernard Savage, Australia’s hockey high-performance director, met with Craig while he was in custody and noted that the athlete was visibly distressed.
‘He appeared disheveled, fatigued, hungry, and stressed,’ Savage remarked.
Anna Meares, Australia’s chef de mission in Paris, provided an update on Craig’s situation in a statement on Thursday morning, AEST.
Meares commented that Craig is ‘a good individual who made a poor choice, but poor decisions come with consequences.’
‘I cannot condone Tom’s actions,’ Meares stated.
‘Our team has excelled at these Games, and his behavior does not represent the values of the team nor does it diminish their accomplishments.’
‘He has expressed remorse, accepted his mistake, and we will offer him our support if he needs assistance.’
Australian hockey’s high-performance director Bernard Savage met Craig after his release and noted his poor condition
She mentioned that Craig would no longer be able to participate in the Games.
‘Consequently, Tom will forfeit all remaining Olympic privileges. He has already vacated the Olympic Village, and I understand he had no plans to attend the Closing Ceremony. If he had desired to do so, he would not be permitted,’ stated the former champion cyclist.
‘Regarding our actions, there is not much more we can undertake at this stage as this was outside the team environment.’
Australians have the highest per capita usage of cocaine globally, with pre-Covid statistics indicating 4.2 percent of individuals aged 14 and above in Australia used cocaine.
On Wednesday, residents of Rue Douai in the Pigalle district shared that dealers frequently gather near their homes to sell drugs to pedestrians.
One resident commented: ‘There is always a lot happening outside our building.’
‘The police routinely patrol our street, but typically the dealers just disperse.’
‘It seems last night was different, resulting in an arrest.’
Standing near rental bicycles, the dealers reportedly offer a variety of narcotics, according to residents.
A street cleaner added: ‘The dealers linger around there, opposite the park. We don’t often see them since we work during the day, but according to local residents, they are a nuisance.’
Australia’s chef de mission Anna Meares announced Craig’s punishment through the Australian Olympic Committee
Paris’s infamously known Pigalle district is recognized as the city’s historical red-light area, made iconic by artist Toulouse Lautrec and singer Edith Piaf.
It is home to the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret, surrounded by adult shops and massage parlors.
Additionally, it has become a popular nightlife destination for tourists in search of late-night venues.
British gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson celebrated her 800m race victory at the nearby French Flair bar with friends and family, just yards away from where Craig was apprehended.
However, the area recently witnessed the horrifying gang-rape of a 25-year-old Australian tourist two weeks prior.
The woman reported being assaulted by a group of men near the Place de Clichy, which leads directly to Rue de Douai, the location of Craig’s arrest.
The Australian had been out drinking at the bars and clubs around the Moulin Rouge the previous Friday night before encountering her assailants.
She later informed authorities that she was attacked by five men and brutally raped around 5 AM, managing to escape to a nearby kebab shop for safety.
The alleged dealer involved in the incident was described as a 17-year-old who had been ‘behaving like a dealer’, according to prosecutorial sources.
He was said to be in possession of seven vials of cocaine, 75 ecstasy pills, and three grams of mephedrone.
Due to being classified as a minor, the dealer’s identity cannot be disclosed.
Craig has been representing Australia in hockey since his youth and was a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Kookaburras for which he plays won silver at the Tokyo Olympics and were eliminated from the current Games after a quarter-final defeat to the Netherlands earlier this week.
The Hockeyroos also faced a surprising quarter-final exit, losing 3-2 to China within 24 hours.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Hockey Australia for further comments.
Prosecutors stated that Craig was spotted ‘at the foot of a building in the ninth arrondissement’, shortly after midnight
Under a French law that was implemented in 2020, individuals found in possession of less than five grams of cocaine may receive on-the-spot fines as low as €150 (AUD$249).
The newly established regulations still permit individuals convicted of serious illicit drug offenses to serve up to a year in prison.
These measures were introduced to ‘streamline law enforcement tasks’ and lessen the burden on the criminal court system.
