Dutch Volleyball player who raped 12-year-old British girl qualifies for Paris Olympics

[MidnightPatrol]

A beach volleyball player who was jailed for raping a 12-year-old British girl is set to represent the Netherlands at the Paris Olympics.

Steven van de Velde, now 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape against a child, which took place in August 2014.

He was allowed to serve his sentence in the Netherlands but was released after just 12 months.

The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) told BBC Sport: "After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him - privately and professionally - self-insight and reflection."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the nomination of individual team members is "the sole responsibility of each respective National Olympic Committee".

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c511yz5ze18o

Should this mean be allowed to compete in the Olympics, given his crimes?

Didn't they ban Russia when they invaded Ukraine? Fairly quick sharp.

Yeah I'm annoyed at the Netherlands' rape laws. Esp given they have (imho) good, liberal laws re assisted dying.

Bloody hell are you for real?

In August 2014, he raped a 12-year-old child he met on Facebook who lived in Milton Keynes, England. He travelled to her home and, when she was without any parental supervision, gave her alcohol and then raped her several times at the home as well as in a nearby lake.[5] The victim would eventually go on to self-harm and once overdosed.[6] Van de Velde returned to the Netherlands after the rape, although he was eventually extradited to the United Kingdom and arrested in January 2016.[7]
(Wikipedia)

It's everyone's fucking business.

It’s not surprised the Olympics don’t have any code of ethics especially around women. They’re so out of touch.

'Nevobo and the Dutch NOC said in a statement that they supported van de Velde, adding that they, along with the FIVB, had consulted experts who considered his chance of recidivism “nil.”'

Thick as fucking mince. Sex offending has the highest recidivism rates with the lowest conviction rates. Not only is the chance of recidivism high, the chances of him getting away with it are high too.

Tempted to buy tickets to go and boo the shitty arsehole.

Is that the sports organisations bestowing their knowledge about paedophilia on us there? When you think about these competitions, there are v young girls floating around for gymnastics etc. it's clear you can't have a child rapist anywhere near them. Nobody is protecting them 😞

Spot the male poster

But some countries probably class people being gay as sex offenders so I am not sure it’s easy to set blanket rules like that

Eugh, you're right there.

@LiquoriceAllsorts2 Yes agree - but countries generally manage to overlook stuff when they want to win - this being a case in point.

I think the safety of children whether they are British, Dutch, Thai, Pakistan, Samoan etc should be everyones concern. No 12yr old anywhere in the world should have that happen to them.

He shouldn’t be there and I’m pretty disgusted that the Dutch sporting authorities thought he was a good representative of his country.

I'm so shocked that a man who definitely did a rape and even admitted it and a little child where he drugged her and left her with trauma etc only served 12 months in prison?

That's absolutely ridiculous! You know in the Victorian times a man could be hanged for raping a child of 12.

It’s worse than this, he groomed her on Facebook then travelled to the uk to meet a 12 year old, he knew her age, he was 19, he got her drunk and raped her. She’s self harmed and had mental health crisis. He says he’s ‘not a monster’. He effing well is!! He should be in prison still.

How do visas for the Olympic Games work? Could the UK refuse him, based on him being a convicted sex offender who has travelled to commit offences? In which case, who do we email?

Sorry French durr. I wonder if because it's the EU it's different.

Well the olympics is in Paris, he is a Dutch passport holder, both are in Schengen/eu so no visa is required.

why would the uk be able to block someone going to Paris?

Hello Steven van de Velde or his mum!!

Prick!

The problem is the Netherlands didn’t see what he did as rape. It didn’t meet their definition at the time as rape.

it will have been sex with a minor though which is a criminal offence but I don’t have any insight in to how severe they take that.

He hasn’t served his time. He’s served a year. For repeatedly raping a child.

If there was a men's UK volleyball team in the Olympics, they should refuse to play the Netherlands if he is selected. There is not though.

Having said that, there is a footballer who if the justice system in the UK functioned in a reasonable timescale probably would have faced sex offences charges in court.

Aggressively defending a nonce.

What a great look.

@BrigadierEtienneGerard

He raped a British girl. Does that change your stupid opinion?

He should be launched into the middle of the fucking ocean and never thought of again.

It's amazing what doesn't get deleted around here sometimes isn't it!

He's presumably going to be housed in the Olympic Village - with fellow athletes, some of whom will be young teens.

Surely to fuck, at the very least the Olympic committee has a duty of care to not house children with fucking paedophiles?!