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?

Not that it will make any difference, but there is a petition to have him disqualified: www.change.org/p/disqualify-convicted-child-rapist-steven-van-de-velde-from-the-olympics

I've been thinking about this.

Dreadful things happen in so many countries, but often the issues are complex and difficult to solve.

This was so easy. There is literally another player that has come out with the team incase someone gets injured. There is another player waiting in the wings. Another player who undoubtedly is very good.

And yet they chose the child rapist.

Last night it was reported that an email sent by a a senior Dutch Olympic official insisted: 'Steven is NOT a peadophile [sic]; you really don't think that de Dutch NOC would send to Paris who IS a real risk? No, he isn't a risk.'

So what do you call someone that rapes a child. A twelve year old child.

Apparently the crowd booed him today.

I assume it's dodgy semantics (he's actually assaulting pubescent rather than pre-pubescent girls) and/or a total lack of understanding (that sex offending isn't one of the highest recidivism rates). Either way, ignorant arsehole.

And I'm glad he gets booed. He deserves much more than that.

I'm glad he gets booed too @MrsTerryPratchett. He should be booed every time he touches a ball. He should be booed so that he loses. He should be booed so the men that play alongside him lose. He should be booed so that his country loses.

He should be booed because he raped a child. Child rapists deserve much more than booing and losing, but that's all we have atm.

His team mates should refuse to have him in the team.

As nice as that would be, it’s unfair to put that on them. They shouldn’t have to give up on their Olympic dreams for him.

That's true - but there will be other team members who could play instead of him. There are always substitute players.

They're risking their dream to protect a rapist. This will be detrimental to their focus.

Sorry I meant they shouldn’t have to put themselves at risk of being chucked out of the team.

But even though it's normal for 10-12 year olds to have technically started puberty they still look like young children not teenagers or adults. He started messaging her when she was 10. I don't think any normal man, even a horny teenager would look at a ten year old like that unless they were seriously disturbed.

I've seen the "it's not technically paedophilia" argument pulled out when it's a 15 year old and it's kind of gross/pointless pedantry then. But I don't think it even makes sense in a semantic way when you are talking about men targeting 10-12 year olds.

Not criticising your point. You are probably right about their logic. But it's disgusting logic.

His team mates are fully supportive of him. His volleyball partner had been his partner for a while and actively choose to partner with him.

I agree with your last two posts @biscuitandcake

personally i feel them saying he’s not a paedophile is more predicated on the idea that he hasn’t raped any children recently basically 😵‍💫 And he’s had professionals “assess” him and claim his risk of reoffending is zero and therefore he’s no longer a paedophile 🤦🏽‍♀️ (Because it’s that simple right 🙄)

So in their eyes his grooming and rape of a tween was “in the distant past” and has no reflection on who he is now.

It’s all complete madness of course but that’s how they’re choosing to view it.

He started messaging her when she was 10.

That's horrific. Scum.

I can't help but strongly feel that , had it been a 12-year-old boy he had gotten drunk and raped multiple times, both the UK and the Netherland's law would have been much harsher, as well as the opinions of the olympic commitee on the matter.

But it was "a girl", you know, she probably was asking for it anyway. And by the way, what was she wearing?

No longer identifies as a rapist, apparently.

'Olympian Steven van de Velde who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl says he 'doesn't identify with the teenager of ten years ago'.

https://x.com/SkyNews/status/1823795474543075677