Dutch Olympic bosses have doubled down on their decision to select a volleyball player who was convicted of raping a child for a position at the Paris Olympics.
In 2016, Steven van de Velde, from the Netherlands was convicted of r*pe after meeting a 12-year-old on Facebook and traveling down to the United Kingdom to have sex with her.
He later admitted to his crime and was sentenced to four years for three counts of r*pe against a child. He served part of his sentence in England before being deported back to his home country to serve the rest of his sentence, which was amended due to Dutch law.
Despite his serious conviction, with the support of both the Dutch volleyball federation and the National Olympic Committee, he will be representing the Netherlands at the upcoming Olympics, set to commence later this month in Paris.
In a statement on Nevobo’s website, van de Velde, now 29, addressed the renewed attention to his crimes.
"In 2016 and afterwards, several Dutch media also paid attention to the story. I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media," he said in a statement.
The professional volleyball player allegedly underwent counseling and periods of "reflection", later coming to the conclusion that his behavior was unacceptable.
"I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life," he said during an interview. "When I watch the footage of the interview again, a great sense of gratitude prevails. Because of the second chance I got from my parents, my friends, acquaintances and colleagues, who accepted me again after the biggest misstep of my then young life."
He went on to state that he was grateful to have the backing of the Dutch volleyball federation and the National Olympic Committee to continue his professional career.
"I am also grateful to the Dutch volleyball federation, because they offered me, with clear conditions and agreements, a future in this beautiful sport again," he said. "But I also think back to the teenager I was, who was insecure, not ready for a life as a top class athlete and unhappy inside, because I didn't know who I was and what I wanted."
However, this still hasn't swayed the opinion of the general public much.
"I’m trying to reconcile this Steven van de Velde situation with how I generally feel about the Netherlands, and it’s difficult. They’re letting a man who knowingly r*ped a 12-year-old, after flying to England and getting her drunk, represent them at the Olympics. And no fuss," wrote one user on X.
"Test positive for cannabis? You’re out of the Olympics. R*pe a child? Welcome to the team!" added another, comparing the 29-year-old's situation to that of Sha'Carri Richardson.
"...God knows what the poor girl and her family are feeling seeing him [representing] his country. Sick," a third commented.
Despite all the backlash online, van de Velde and his partner, Matthew Immers, qualified to represent the Netherlands at the Paris Olympics in 2024, as per a report by TODAY.
On its website, Nevobo said it supports van de Velde’s participation in at the Olympics.
“We know Steven’s history. Before he expressed his desire to return to beach volleyball at the time, we spoke extensively with him but also with NOC*NSF (The Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation), among others,” Michel Everaert, general director at Nevobo, said in a statement.
“He was convicted at the time according to English law and he has served his sentence,” Everaert continued. “From then on, we have been in constant contact with Steven, who has now been fully reintegrated into the Dutch volleyball community. He is proving to be an exemplary professional and human being and there has been no reason to doubt him since his return.
"We fully support him and his participation in Paris, which he and Matthew have earned," he added.
NOC*NSF also said they stand with van de Velde competing at the Paris Olympics.
“Van de Velde now meets all the qualification requirements for the Olympic Games and is therefore part of the team,” the organization said.
The Paris Olympics is set to commence on July 26.
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