Steven van de Velde, the beach volleyball player competing at the Paris Olympics for the Netherlands, entered the field to a mixed reception on Sunday, July 28. Van de Velde, a convicted child rapist in 2016, lost his first game at the Olympics with his partner Matthew Immers. Van de Velde's participation has been in the eye of the storm as the victims' group suggested that his inclusion sent a dangerous message to rapists and would cause "collateral damage" to victims of sexual abuse.
Van de Velde was sentenced to a four-year prison in 2016 in Britain after being accused of raping a 12-year-old girl two years before. In 2017, he was transferred back to the Netherlands before he was made available to play for the country. The Netherlands' Olympic management had ensured to take steps to mitigate the impact of Van de Velde's participation by putting a blanket ban on him talking to the media while accommodating him separately, out of the Games Village.
Watch the crowd reception to Van de Velde:
Among the spectators, a 23-year-old health worker, Melissa Gautier, said she thought he should not be there. Being an athlete shouldn’t give you a free pass," she said.
A 47-year-old lawyer from Italy, Andrea Syslos, did not know about the case, but when told about it said, “It’s not a good thing. Sporting justice should be harsher than civil justice. Maybe he shouldn’t still be in prison but it’s not normal that he is playing in the Olympics where he should be an example for other people."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, on Saturday said that it was comfortable with the explanations given by the Netherlands Olympic team regarding Van de Velde's involvement in the Paris Games. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said the committee was not totally comfortable with the situation but that “a crime occurred 10 years ago, a great deal of rehabilitation has taken place and strong safeguarding is in place.”
(With Reuters inputs)
