Steven Van de Velde, a Dutch volleyball player convicted under British law for raping a 12-year-old girl, is still facing the heat at the Paris Olympics.
Or, rather, the boos.
As reported by Guardian journalist Alexandra Topping, Van de Velde was greeted with a chorus of boos (and a smattering of cheers) as he took to the field for last Sunday’s match. 👇
Boos -and some applause – as Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl when he was 19, enters the Stadium with his partner Matthew Immers. The boos were more audible when he was later introduced separately #PARIS2024 pic.twitter.com/yJGjxXKzE9
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) July 28, 2024
Who is Steven Van de Velde?
Initially sentenced to four years in prison for having sex with a minor he knew to be underage, Van de Velde was extradited to the Netherlands one year into his sentence.
READ MORE | This Dutchman was jailed for raping a child, now he gets to represent the NL at the Olympics
There, his sentence was drastically reduced to an “indecent act”. (Which, shockingly, is what sex with a minor was categorised as under Dutch law at the time. 🤯)
Now Van de Velde, who once framed the incident as “we both had our problems“, has been allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dutch Olympics team still stand behind the player
Despite a petition for Van de Velde’s disqualification having now racked up over 120,000 signatures, most Dutch sporting institutions remain unwavering in their support.
(Warning ⚠️: Distressing themes) Over 80,000 people have signed a petition calling for the disqualification of an Olympic athlete in light of his prior child rape conviction.
— Change.org (@Change) July 26, 2024
In 2016, Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde was convicted of raping a British 12-year-old… pic.twitter.com/qbS0CUEmzI
André Cats, Top Sports Director of the NOC*NSF (the Dutch national sports organisation), told NU.nl that “athletes, just like everyone else, deserve a second chance if they have been convicted.”
“For us, Steven is a qualified athlete who meets all the conditions to go to the Games,” he continued.
Whilst this sentiment is shared by Michel Everaert, general manager of Nevobo (the Dutch national volleyball association), the public just isn’t having it.
Many point to the hypocrisy of Olympics officials for banning dressage gold medallist, Charlotte Dujardin, after videos surface of her whipping her horse — but turning a blind eye to a participant convicted of child rape.
Others point to the difference in treatment between Van de Velde and Sha’Carri Richardson, an American track and field sprinter banned from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics for testing positive for cannabis.
On the Left:
— Mo 🍉 (@MozFrame) July 27, 2024
Sha'carri Richardson, who was banned from the Olympics last time for testing positive for… cannabis
On the right:
Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12 year old girl. He is free to compete for the Netherlands Beach Volleyball team this year pic.twitter.com/YZcVk6tUBG
What do you think of the decision to allow Van de velde to compete? Tell us all your thoughts in the comments below!
Feature Image: Maarten van Hassel/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0
Absolutely disgraceful, i rapidly losing all respect for my country’s sporting institutions by continuously supporting
This disgusting evil self indulging less than a human being none person , chemically castrate him that should stop his gallop.
Shameful, disgraceful, unbelievable, disgusting, unacceptable……… and the two idiots (Cats & Everaert) dismissing the call to remove the rapist, can we ask them when the young lady who was raped will have her second chance to change what happened? I think we all know the answer