Dutch volleyball player who raped 12-year-old British schoolgirl qualifies for Paris …

June 26, 2024, 08:06 | Updated: June 26, 2024, 08:10

A Dutch volleyball player who was imprisoned for raping a 12-year-old British girl has qualified to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris.

Steven Van de Velde, who was 19 at the time of the attack, admitted to raping a child he met on a trip from Amsterdam in August 2014 three times.

The girl he met and spoke to through social media was raped at an address in Milton Keynes.

Van de Velde returned to the Netherlands, but was extradited and arrested in January 2016.

The following month he appeared via video link at Aylesbury Crown Court and was sentenced to four years in prison.

However, the athlete was allowed to return to the Netherlands to serve his sentence and was released after one year.

After van de Velde’s early release, a children’s aid organization condemned his comments.

The NSPCC said: “Van de Velde’s lack of remorse and self-pity are staggering and we can only begin to imagine the distress 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.”

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