To boycott the Olympics for allowing a rapist to compete

[Fluffyelephant]

I cannot believe in this day and age a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete in the Olympics.

I know he was booed when he was competing but that's not enough. He never should have been allowed to compete in the first place and as a result I'm not watching any of the Olympics and encouraging others to do the same. I know that means other legitimate athletes will sadly be punished for the actions of one man and the decision makers for the Olympics - but what else can you do to send a message it's unacceptable?

For context, the volleyball player raped a 12 year old girl in Britain who he met online when he was 19 and was convicted in 2016. To add further insult to injury he only served 1 year of the sentence and seems to have gone on to marry a police officer!? He also has since said he's not a pedophile (although admits he did do what he was accused of) and that the media saying he is one is 'a load of nonsense'.

Unbelievable that this isn't considered more serious in a country like the Netherlands or by the Olympics itself.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/articles/cpd9e0r2dxmo

100% agree

Its really upsetting and put me off watching any of it to be honest.

Paedophilia has no place in the Olympics.

I think it's an absolute fucking disgrace that a convicted child rapist can represent their country at an elite level, in sports.

He's absolutely remorseless too it seems.

I also cant believe he is being allowed to compete and being backed up by his country because hes had 'TREATMENT'
I Seen the booing on TV this morning and I would have absolutely ruined my own chances of any medals by refusing to partner with him. I would have opened my mouth if I was on the same team and though I don't know what's went on there behind the scenes, I can't believe fellow athletes have not spoken up. I'm not sure boycotting the Olympics on TV in UK will solve anything though.

Agree. The guff about him being rehabilitated yet he is not allowed to stay in the Olympic Village for safeguarding reasons says it all. He has no remorse, he doesn't believe he did anything wrong and should be able to have all he wants and the Dutch Olympic Selectors and the IOC are more than happy to accede to his wants.

On top of that there are two males going to be competing in the female boxing category.

You want to know how highly the IOC think of women and women's sports? These two events show you exactly what they think. Truly is a man's world.

It's absolutely disgusting and beyond shameful.

Disgraceful. I imagine other athletes, especially the women, feel disgusted by it too along with all of us.

I'd be interested to hear from the 5% who have voted YABU as to their reasoning...

I know I'm going to get pilloried for this, but let's bear one thing in mind. He committed a crime and his sentence was 4 years in prison - not 4 years in prison and you are never allowed to do anything again that makes you happy/notable/rich or try to rebuild your life.

I hope everyone's just as concerned that roughly half of Americans are unconcerned that a rapist may be about to become their next President.

One of the issues is that 12 is the age of consent in the Netherlands, therefore the victim will not have been viewed as a child

Not sure where you got that from? The age of consent in the Netherlands for voluntary sexual relations is 16 years (Penal Law Code, art. 244 and 245).

This is absolutely disgusting !!

There is no forgiveness for paedophiles.

He served a crappy sentence. There is no rehabilitation for these monsters .

He sought out a 12 year old girl, travelled Countries to see her and raped her multiple times.

No one should forgive this, this is the worst crime out there !

His survivor/victim has suffered from the day this happened, her life stopped, she experienced dreadful trauma immediately and will for the rest of her life. She was let down by the courts but probably thought when the judge said his career was finished it was a very small comfort that he would never compete in the Olympics and then the brass neck of him, there he is !!

There is absolutely no excuses to allow paedophiles to participate in anything. The IOC should be ashamed of themselves, the whole thing is disgusting if there are loop holes that allow a child rapist take part.

The Dutch man is a convicted paedophile rapist he should not be being lauded on a word stage.

He knew exactly what he was doing, he knew how old she was, he sought her out, he travelled from one country to another to rape her. He has shown no remorse. He's apparently so well rehabilitated though that he cannot live in the Olympic Village because there are young teenage girls there and he is a safeguarding risk. Sound like someone who has changed their ways to you?

I say the same about any convicted paedophile rapist.

They say he is rehabilitated he was only 19 when it happened.

I dint know where i sit with it, really. He's been to jail. Hes accepted all tbe therapies if we are to have a civilised dociety we should be rehabilitating all criminals and making them productive members of society
www.ladbible.com/news/sport/steven-van-de-velde-olympic-paris-2024-debut-496678-20240728?fbclid=IwY2xjawETDJRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcPF8_mhUTTWCwxZhbpTEPI3uGChd5QyVUZTcPufnz4GrqfBGtGj2YE7Kw_aem_dk8g54oRpbsRVN8fz-JaTw

LadBible? Really? Wash your mouth out.

Yes I was shocked too.
I read that he regrets it, has done his time etc and wants to get on with his life. But that doesn't matter. He ruined a child's life forever. He shouldn't get to compete.

Also the fact someone married him and had a child with him. Just blows my mind.

They banned someone for mistreating a horse but let a child rapist compete. What???

Sure. I accept all of your comments and what he did was appalling. I'm definitely not disputing that. But the fact is the punishment in law was a jail sentence, which he served. By all means campaign for that legal sentence to be harsher if you wish, but a sentence is a sentence. Serve it and you have repayed your debt to society.

To people who don't know... he only served a year of his sentence... he was sent back to the Netherlands and released there as it wasnt considered rape under their laws at the time.

They banned someone for mistreating a horse but let a child rapist compete. What??

this!!

you whip a horse and you’re kicked out of the olympics, yet rape a 12 year old girl and you’re good to go. Men in authority really loathe women and girls

Yes, All of mumsnet and people with brains want the orange fuck nugget as president....

It is possible to angry about more than one issue you know

Serve it and you have repayed your debt to society

nope. Serve it and you have served your sentence. That is all. No one should be compelled to tolerate your existence and all morally decent people should stand against scumbags having any place in society, much less being lauded and celebrated

I'm not being funny, but there are some crimes that are unforgivable. And some offenders who cannot be rehabilitated.

That is a very good point.
I also have to say I don’t really believe that as a rapist you can ever truly be rehabilitated. Is it really the case that he can say he didn’t realise it was wrong when he did it but he does now ? I really don’t think so .