Steven van de Velde: Child rapist beach volleyball player booed at Paris Olympics

The Dutch Olympic Committee says the 29-year-old is successfully rehabilitated and deserved his place in the squad, but campaigners argue his inclusion is shocking.

Sunday 28 July 2024 13:31, UK

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A Dutch beach volleyball player and convicted child rapist was greeted by boos from the crowd on his Olympic debut in Paris.

Steven van de Velde, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for a sex attack on a 12-year-old British girl two years earlier when he was 19.

He served just 12 months of his sentence and some fans at the Eiffel Tower Stadium showed their disapproval of his appearance at the games.

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When he arrived alongside teammate Matthew Immers for their match against Italian pair Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula, there were some cheers as well as boos.

But unlike his fellow competitors, there were no cheers when Van de Velde was introduced to the crowd with some boos again clearly heard.

Van de Velde met his victim on Facebook and travelled from Amsterdam to the UK in 2014 and raped the girl at an address in Milton Keynes.

He is understood not to be staying in the Olympic Village at his own request and will not conduct the usual post-match interviews.

The Dutch Olympic Committee maintain Van de Velde has been successfully rehabilitated and deserves his place in the squad.

The International Volleyball Federation said it was unable to stop the Netherlands from sending Van de Velde to Paris after he qualified in the usual way.

But Rape Crisis England & Wales has said his inclusion at the games was "shocking".

Van de Velde left the arena on his own after Italy's three-set 22-20 19-21 15-13 victory.

Steven van de Velde: Child rapist beach volleyball player booed at Paris Olympics

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