Child Rapist Competing in Olympics, IOC Defends his Participation

Steven van de Velde, a Dutch beach volleyball player who served time in prison for raping a child 10 years ago, was roundly booed by the crowd during the Netherlands’ first match at the Paris Olympics.

Footage posted on social media showed jeers and boos ringing out, as van de Velde and his partner Matthew Immers walked out into the arena at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Eventually, they were defeated by the Italian duo of Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula.

Van de Velde’s presence at these Olympic Games has caused much controversy given that he was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2014, according to British media. He was released in 2017 and is now 29 years old.

Despite the torrent of criticism directed towards the Dutch National Olympic Committee for selecting him, the IOC defended that decision as “correct,” saying that van de Velde has undergone “a great deal of rehabilitation.” (Read more from “Child Rapist Competing in Olympics, IOC Defends his Participation” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr