According to the Olympic Committee, the “sex monster” athlete selected for the Paris Games has “shown thoughtfulness” after the rape of a 12-year-old British girl

The Dutch Olympic Committee has defended its decision to allow an athlete who abused a child to play for the country’s volleyball team at this year’s Games in Paris.

The sport’s governing body has insisted that disgraced volleyball star Steven van de Velde will represent the Netherlands despite being sentenced to prison for raping a 12-year-old British girl.

After this move sparked outrage, the committee declared that the perpetrator had shown “self-awareness and reflection” ten years after the gruesome incident.

At the age of 19, Van de Velde flew from his home country of the Netherlands to the UK to meet his 12-year-old British victim after recruiting her via Facebook in 2014.

The girl told her family that she was staying with a friend and sneaked out to meet the sports star at a hotel.

When they were unable to make a booking, they later returned to the victim’s empty house where they had sex.

He was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting three counts of raping the child.

Judge Francis Sheridan told him at the time: “Before I this country You trained as a potential Olympian.

“Your hopes of representing your country are now a shattered dream.”

Linda Strudwick, Van de Velde’s own defence lawyer, said of the Aylesbury Crown Court verdict: “The headlines say it all: ‘A sex monster.’

“This is clearly the end of his career.”

But now the volleyball player has been selected for the Paris Olympic team, a decision that has been sharply criticized as a “shameful appointment.”

Since his release, the Dutch Olympic Committee has reportedly supported his Olympic ambitions and his presence in Paris despite the uproar.

The committee stated: “Since 2018, Steven van de Velde has been participating in international beach volleyball tournaments again after an intensive, professionally supervised career.

“After his release, he sought and received professional counseling. He demonstrated self-awareness and self-reflection to those around him – both privately and professionally.”

It was also pointed out that Van de Velde’s reintroduction into the games satisfied the Dutch Volleyball Association.

However, the International Olympic Committee has tried to distance itself from the controversy.

They stated: “The nomination of individual team members after qualification on the field of play is the sole responsibility of the respective National Olympic Committee.”

In an earlier interview, Van de Velde spoke of his guilt, saying: “I can’t undo it, so I will have to face the consequences. It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

But of his conviction in 2017, he said: “I was branded a sex monster, a paedophile. I am not that, really not.”

After his release that same year, the ailing athlete tried to defend himself, complaining that “his side of the story” was not heard.

His comments were sharply criticised by the National Society for Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

A spokesman said: “Van de Velde’s lack of remorse and self-pity are breathtaking and we can only begin to imagine the despair his victim must feel when she sees his comments.”

“Grooming can make children feel ashamed or even guilty because they believe they have participated voluntarily, when in reality an adult has abused them for sexual exploitation.”

The decision to allow the athlete to represent the country has sparked outrage and disgust among Olympic fans.

Some social media users expressed their disbelief on X (formerly Twitter).

One user wrote: “This is incredibly insensitive and in all my years of witnessing blatant statements, defending a convicted child molester for inclusion on your Olympic team has to be the worst I’ve seen.”

Elsewhere it said: “The Dutch Olympic team has made a shameful appointment to represent their country. Every Dutch citizen must be ashamed that Steven van de Velde will participate.”

In his first comments since qualifying for Paris, Van de Velde acknowledged that he would be under scrutiny.

He told the Dutch NOC: “In 2016 and thereafter, several Dutch media outlets paid attention to the story.

“I understand that this may attract international media attention ahead of the biggest sporting event in the world.”

Terrible case

As Aylesbury Crown Court heard during his trial almost a decade ago, Van de Velde travelled to the UK to meet and have sex with his victim.

Prosecutor Sandra Beck told the court at the time: “She describes that she met Steven Van de Velde through Facebook, that they spoke to each other regularly through Facebook and that he made her feel special.”

“She made it clear that she was seven years younger than him.

“This relationship through social media existed over a period of time.”

The girl had added the Dutch player as a friend on Facebook after he allegedly commented on one of her photos, the court heard.

The couple then chatted every day via Facebook, Snapchat and Skype before he visited her in Milton Keynes in 2014.

The girl told her family that she was staying with a friend and sneaked out to try to meet the 19-year-old at a hotel.

When they couldn’t make an appointment, they went to Furzton Lake in the city, drank Baileys and she performed sexual acts on him.

The couple slept in cardboard boxes under a stairwell at the Premier Inn because they couldn’t get a room afterwards.

The next morning, she allegedly took him to her empty house where they had sex.

Before returning to the Netherlands, Van de Velde advised the girl to take the morning-after pill because they had not used contraception.

The girl’s visit to a family planning clinic alerted the authorities, who intervened because of her young age.

Van de Velde from Voorburg was subsequently extradited to the United Kingdom and arrested on suspicion of sexual conduct.

The 29-year-old is now married and a father.

The News The Dutch Olympic Committee’s defense came after Van de Velde qualified for the Games with his partner Matthew Immers.

According to a report from The Telegraph, they are currently ranked 11th in the world.