Warning: the below article contains information that some readers may find distressing.
A beach volleyball player who previously pled guilty to raping a child has qualified for the Paris Olympics. despite his previous conviction.
Steven van de Velde, 29, is set to represent the Netherlands in beach volleyball, which will begin in July.
The athlete was sentenced to four years in a Dutch prison in 2016 after admitting to three counts of rape against a child, but served just 12 months of his sentence before he was released.
The charges relate to a 2014 incident, where van de Velde, who was 19 at the time, traveled to Milton Keynes in the UK to meet a 12-year-old he had befriended on Facebook, where he had sexual intercourse with the child.
The sportsman had initially been told that his actions had destroyed his dream of ever representing his country at the Olympics, with Judge Francis Sheridan telling van de Velde during sentencing: "Prior to coming to this country you were training as a potential Olympian. Your hopes of representing your country now lie as a shattered dream.
"Your actions have wrecked your life and you could, had you never come to England and committed these offenses, have been a leader in your sport."
However, this month it was revealed that van de Velde has a spot on the Dutch beach volleyball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Matthew Immers.
The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) addressed concerns about van de Velde's participation in the prestigious competition, telling the BBC: "After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counseling.
"He demonstrated to those around him - privately and professionally - self-insight and reflection."
The NOC added that van de Velde's return to the sport met guidelines set by the Dutch Volleyball Federation (NeVoBo) in its 'Guidelines Integrity Record', which sets certain conditions for athletes to be able to compete again after being convicted of a crime.
It says he has met "all qualification criteria for the Olympic Games".
van de Velde issued a statement himself through the committee, adding: "In 2016 and afterward, 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 previously told Dutch press: "I can't reverse it, so will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life."
During his trial at Aylesbury Crown Court, prosecutor Sandra Beck told the court: "[The victim] describes that she had met Steven Van de Velde on Facebook, they spoke regularly through that and he made her 'feel special'.
"She certainly made it clear she was seven years younger than him. This relationship over social media was taking place over a period of time."
The victim had added van de Velde on Facebook after he had commented on a photo of her, and the pair began to speak on a daily basis over Facebook, Snapchat, and Skype.
As reported by the Daily Mail, when van de Velde arranged to fly over and meet her, the victim told her parents she was staying with a friend as she and the sportsperson attempted to book a hotel room.
However, when they were unable to book a room, they slept in cardboard boxes under a stairway at a budget hotel, before going back to the girl's empty house where he took her virginity.
Before returning to the Netherlands, van de Velde advised the girl to get the morning-after pill as they had not used contraception, and it was her visit to the family planning clinic that raised alarm bells because of her young age, with staff alerting the authorities.
He said after his release, as reported by the Daily Mail: "I do want to correct all the nonsense that has been written about me when I was locked up.
"I did not read any of it, on purpose, but I understand that it was quite bad, that I have been branded as a sex monster, as a pedophile. That I am not, really not.
"Everyone can have their opinion about me, but it is only fair if they also know my side of the story."
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.
