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| Radisson suspends Minnesota Vikings sponsorship | Radisson suspends Minnesota Vikings sponsorship |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Radisson hotel chain says it is suspending its sponsorship of Minnesota Vikings, an American football team. | The Radisson hotel chain says it is suspending its sponsorship of Minnesota Vikings, an American football team. |
| The decision comes after one of the team's players, Adrian Peterson, was charged with child abuse in Texas after hitting his son with a wooden switch. | |
| The Minneapolis team have reinstated the player after dropping him. | |
| "Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances," the company said. | "Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances," the company said. |
| It added it "takes this matter very seriously, particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children". | |
| Radisson's sponsorship includes a banner visible to viewers watching Vikings' news conferences. | |
| The Minnesota Vikings said it had "respectfully honoured Radisson's request", a team spokesman said. | The Minnesota Vikings said it had "respectfully honoured Radisson's request", a team spokesman said. |
| Discipline or abuse? | Discipline or abuse? |
| Mr Peterson stands accused of using part of a tree branch to spank his four-year-old son. The player says he was using a form of discipline his father used on him as a boy. | Mr Peterson stands accused of using part of a tree branch to spank his four-year-old son. The player says he was using a form of discipline his father used on him as a boy. |
| "I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser," Mr Peterson said in a statement. | "I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser," Mr Peterson said in a statement. |
| "I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury." | "I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury." |
| The Vikings dropped the player for Sunday's game but then reinstated him on Monday. | The Vikings dropped the player for Sunday's game but then reinstated him on Monday. |
| The team's general manager, Rick Spielman, said: "I understand that this is a very difficult thing to handle. But we also feel strongly as an organisation that this is disciplining a child. | The team's general manager, Rick Spielman, said: "I understand that this is a very difficult thing to handle. But we also feel strongly as an organisation that this is disciplining a child. |
| "Whether it's an abusive situation or not, or whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that that is the court's decision to make, but we also understand the seriousness of abusing children as well.'' | "Whether it's an abusive situation or not, or whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that that is the court's decision to make, but we also understand the seriousness of abusing children as well.'' |
| The charges against Mr Peterson come just days after another NFL star, Ray Rice, had his contract terminated after a video emerged in which he appeared to punch his wife. |