Dutch volleyball player who raped 12 year old British girl qualifies for Olympics

[NonCrimeHakeIncident]

https://uk.yahoo.com/sports/news/dutch-volleyball-player-raped-12-193257270.html

His lawyer at the time said “It’s plainly a career end for him”……..

I just Googled "Netherlands Rape law". Apparently Sex without Consent will be legally recognised as Rape in the Netherlands from next month.

Do they have an age of consent?

Agree. And agree with PP who asked how are they going to ensure safety in the athletes village? Shameful

Yes 16.

Yeah... the whole red light district thing is seen as progressive by many but when you wander round there some of the girls in the windows are clearly underage and probably trafficked. There's a couple of streets where it's all Eastern European or African girls and many are so obviously too young. I found it grim honestly

I wonder if it's also worth emailing the UK Olympic committee about this? There must be some sort of formal/informal objection they can raise?

(given it was a UK citizen. I don't personally think it makes any difference to how bad it was - I would be just a shocked if he had rapes a Dutch child. But the fact it was a UK child should make it the uks business).

Just horrible.

You can try the IOC
olympics.com/ioc/faq/ioc-organisation/how-can-i-contact-the-ioc-or-an-ioc-member

They can but the only the IOC can overrule a national association. I hate to say it but I think it’ll be of little good. He’s been in professional sports since 2018 and has multiple partners who haven’t cared. He’s won a lot and with the Olympic medals at stake, the Dutch will do as the Dutch do… turn a blind eye.

I also read that child abuse in magazines is legal in the Netherlands due to a loophole in the law.

The place sounds like a cesspit.

Thank you for quoting this whole paragraph, @ArabellaScott . The use of the grossly euphemistic, anachronistic and sexist taken her virginity is beyond enraging.

As for the “sex monster” (his own defence lawyer called him this at his trial in 2016) denying that he’s a paedophile, being released three years early AND going on to represent Holland at the Olympics: rage at the blatant contempt he, the judicial system and the IOC have shown towards the 12-year-old girl. That poor child.

There was an upsetting survey posted on here a few months ago that showed a surprising number of men would be sexually interested in a 12 year old if they thought they could get away with it.

A handful of some of the supportive comments I read last night (Google page translated). They should probably have their internet history checked, I will never understand people who choose to die on the hill of paedo rapist defending.

In the name of god! People are making excuses for his behaviour, saying that in some countries it's ok to marry a 12 year old.

I suppose the judge using "taken her virginity" thought that that emphasised her inexperience which made it worse, her first experience os sex was rape.It's old fashioned but not necessarily sexist. Contrast with the way Rotherham girls were spoken of,

Reference to "The British Mentality". That makes me so fucking proud to be British. In fairness, the guy saying "its not the worst crime" was saying that in response to a female named poster saying it was the worst crime.

I suspect that the response of the IOC would be to issue guidelines to broadcasters, instructing them not to discuss the matter.

Its very odd. There is lots of free support for children, out of school activities etc, emphasis on road safety for the sake of children. I think most children probably lead happier, healthier lives than in the UK. It usually comes quite high on best place to be a child surveys. But on the other hand a much more relaxed attitude towards child sex abuse. I guess if you are child in the Netherlands that isn't raped then life is good. There was also a long period of time when (poor, brown, muslim) children, some toddlers, in deprived neighbourhoods were being caught in the crossfire of Moroccan drug gangs and killed. The general reaction was a big shrug. Then there were some high profile cases where for example a (white, middle class, male) lawyer was shot dead and other examples of Mocro mafia crime spilling out to affect middle class Dutch people (the human beings that matter). Then it was all panic, we must do something, how terrible etc etc.

In some ways its a lot like a real life Omelas (The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - Wikipedia)

Is taking her virginity also a reference to forensics. As in, while virginity tests are bunkum, when small children are suspected victims of sexual abuse doctors do physically check to see if they have been penetrated (I felt awful writing that). Its part of the evidence, along with the fact he knew she was 12 (which the judge also said). But anyway, an absolutely horrible thing for a child SA victim to go through and to be honest, for just a year prison sentence, I don't even think it would be worth it.

Can someone please post some social media links to the Dutch Olympic team. I suggest we all repeatedly post that they have a convicted child rapist on their team. This is something to shout about.

There is nothing progressive about a red light district. Presumably, it is seen as 'safe' prostitution. The idea that it's progressive seems to go with the belief that a 'vibrant' place has beggars and prostitutes roaming around. Misogynistic and exploitative in one - soooo romantic! Yuck.

Was it more nefarious? He took her virginity meaning she hadn't previously had sex and therefore hadn't seduced him.

Not untypical. I remember a case where a 9 year old sex abuse victim was said to be 'no angel' by a judge.

There are some deeply racist attitudes in some parts of northern Europe e.g. Denmark.

Just to be clear: the article doesn’t quote the judge as using these words - it could be the writer of the article who chose to use this phrase.