Convicted Dutch child molester Steven Van de Velde was booed during his beach volleyball debut at the Olympic Games

The Dutch beach volleyball team says “the past is the past” as spectators at the Paris Olympics boo Steven van de Velde, who served just 13 months in prison for raping a 12-year-old in 2014.

There were boos and mixed emotions in the crowd as Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, a convicted rapist, made his debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics in bright sunshine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.

However, his team remained uncomprehending of Van de Velde’s participation in the Olympic Games, saying that “the past is the past” and that the matter should not be discussed at the Games.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in the UK in 2016 after raping a 12-year-old girl two years earlier, when he was 19.

He spent 13 months in prison – one year in the UK and one month in the Netherlands – before being released after his crime was classified as a less serious offence under Dutch law, namely “committing indecent acts”, and his sentence was reduced.

Since 2017, Van de Velde has been participating in beach volleyball again.

During Sunday’s game, he was booed several times, but there was also applause from other spectators.

Among those watching was 23-year-old Melissa Gautier, a health worker who said she didn’t think Van de Velde should be there.

“As an athlete, you shouldn’t have a free pass,” she said.

Andrea Syslos, a 47-year-old lawyer from Italy, knew nothing about the case but when he learned about it, said: “This is not a good thing. Sports justice should be tougher than civil justice.”

“Maybe he should no longer be in prison, but it is not normal for him to play in the Olympics, where he should be a role model for others,” he said.

But Van de Velde’s teammate Matthew Immers brushed aside the criticism of the now 29-year-old’s Olympic participation.

“What’s past is past. He got his punishment and is now really nice. For me this is an example of how he has grown and learned a lot from it,” Immers told reporters.

“I enjoy playing with him,” he said.

John van Vliet, press spokesman for the Dutch team, said: “This is something that should not be discussed in sport at a tournament for which he has qualified.”

“The general issue of convictions for sex offenses or sex crimes is a much bigger issue than sport, but in his case we have a person who was convicted, served his sentence and then did everything he could to compete again.”

IOC satisfied

Some of the spectators who watched the game shared the same opinion.

“I read about it and I think everyone deserves a second chance. They are (legally) allowed to be here and that’s why they can be here,” said 46-year-old German architect Alexandra Bertram.

Van de Velde and Immers lost in the men’s Pool B match 22:20, 19:21, 15:13 against the Italians Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Ignacio Carambula Raurich.

The International Olympic Committee said on Saturday that it was satisfied with the statements made by the Dutch Olympic team regarding Van de Velde’s participation.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the committee was not entirely happy with the situation, but “a crime was committed ten years ago, there has been a comprehensive rehabilitation and strict security measures are in place.”

The Dutch team has taken steps to mitigate the impact of Van de Velde’s participation by moving him to alternative accommodation in Paris rather than the athletes’ village and asking him not to speak to the media.

Alienor Laurent, co-president of the French feminist collective “Osez le feminisme!” (Dare to be a feminist), mobilized against Van de Velde’s participation and was outraged that he was allowed to take part in the Olympic Games.

“What is the message to the victims? That sporting talent is worth more than their dignity,” she told Reuters last week.

“And what is the message to the attackers? An attack on (a young girl) has no impact on your life or your career. You will be celebrated and maybe get medals.”

The case also attracted a great deal of attention in Britain and the United States, where some women’s rights groups campaigned against Van de Velde’s participation in the Games.

“An athlete convicted of child sexual abuse should not be allowed to compete in the Olympics, regardless of the country,” said Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, executive director of the nongovernmental organization The Army of Survivors. – Rappler.com