Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl, recently admitted that he contemplated quitting the Olympics due to the controversy surrounding his participation in the event. Van de Velde, who was 19 at the time of the 2014 crime and is now 30, served a four-year prison sentence starting in 2016 and was released in 2017. Despite his past, he represented the Netherlands in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games in Paris this year with the support of the Dutch Volleyball Federation.
In a recent interview with a Dutch national broadcaster, van de Velde revealed that he had moments where he considered withdrawing from the tournament but ultimately decided not to let external pressures dictate his actions. However, he acknowledged that the negative reception he received, including being booed on several occasions, had a detrimental impact on his performance.
Van de Velde expressed that the experience was intense and stated that he has yet to fully process it. When asked about his future Olympic aspirations, he mentioned that he would take his family's opinion into account before making a decision.
The CEO for the US Center for SafeSport expressed deep concerns over van de Velde's participation in the 2024 Olympic Games, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the safety of minor athletes over competitive achievements. Various officials, including the Australian chef de mission, voiced their disapproval of van de Velde's inclusion in the national team, citing stringent safeguarding policies.
The Dutch Volleyball Federation and the Dutch National Olympic Committee defended their support for van de Velde, stating that experts had assessed his risk of reoffending as negligible. They highlighted his gradual reintegration into professional sports following his conviction and emphasized that he met all qualification requirements for the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee clarified that the nomination of individual team members is the responsibility of each National Olympic Committee, redirecting inquiries to the Dutch NOC for further information.
