Crowd boos convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde at beach volleyball
By Phil Blanche, PA, Paris
Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, a convicted child rapist, was greeted by some boos on his Olympic debut in Paris.
Van de Velde, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old British girl.
He served just 12 months of his sentence and some fans at the Olympic competition in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower voiced their disapproval.
There was a mixed response for Van de Velde with cheers as well as boos greeting his arrival alongside teammate Matthew Immers for their match against Italian pair Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula.
Unlike his fellow competitors, there were no cheers when Van de Velde was introduced to the crowd with some boos again clearly audible.
Van de Velde met his victim on Facebook and travelled from Amsterdam to the UK in 2014 and raped the girl at an address in Milton Keynes.
He is understood not to be staying in the Olympic Village at his own request and will not conduct the usual post-match mixed zone interviews.
We’re pleased to launch our new 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line – a free phone and online chat service for anyone aged 16+ in England & Wales who has experienced any form of sexual violence, abuse or harassment at any time in their lives.
ℹ️ https://t.co/SFGEYzrTqk pic.twitter.com/MU2c6Xb9d8— Rape Crisis England & Wales (@RapeCrisisEandW) December 7, 2022
The Dutch Olympic Committee maintain Van de Velde has been successfully rehabilitated and deserves his place in the squad.
But Rape Crisis England & Wales has said his inclusion at the Games is “shocking”.
The International Olympic Committee has faced calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024, but insists it has no plans to prevent the Dutchman from competing at the Games.
Van de Velde left the arena on his own after Italy’s three-set 22-20 19-21 15-13 victory.
He shock hands with Immers before walking across the sand and to the far corner, where he was applauded by fans before disappearing from view.
