The Steven van de Velde case is more complicated than it seems.
Ten years ago, Dutch beach volleyballer Steven van de Velde, then 19, had sex with a 12-year-old girl. Now, the convicted rapist is competing in the Olympics and being booed. His team is shielding him, and he remains silent.
On Wednesday at 4 pm, Steven van de Velde will next compete in the Olympics. With his partner Matthew Immers, he will face the two Chileans, Marco and Esteban Grimalt, in the second match of the beach volleyball preliminary round. Once again, the Olympic world will be watching and listening closely. While the match has little sporting relevance here and elsewhere, that's not what's at stake when van de Velde steps onto the Olympic sand. The Dutchman is a convicted child rapist in England. Ten years ago, he had sex with a girl who was then 12, making him a persona non grata in the eyes of many.
When the 29-year-old appeared for the first time before the large audience on the spectacular court in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, he was greeted with whistles and boos. During the match, there were occasional disturbances aimed at disrupting the Dutchman's concentration. The Olympics have a case that is difficult to bear. Sex with children is, for many people, the worst, most repulsive thing they can imagine. Now, one stands before them at a festival of humanity. That's what the Olympics are supposed to be, a "we are one."
Van de Velde and Immers lost their opening match against the Italian duo Alex Ranghieri/Adrian Carambula. The 29-year-old then packed his things and disappeared. What he thought about the whistles and shouts against him is unknown. Although it is provided that the athletes speak with journalists in the mixed zone after the game, the Dutchman did not appear. The team's spokesperson, John van Vliet, explains that the approach was agreed upon with the athlete. His partner says that van de Velde needs "to rest." So, Immers is faced with questions. He doesn't like it, and it annoys him that the case is now getting so much attention.
The question-and-answer session becomes emotional. Several media outlets report this. A British journalist mutters, "She was 12!" Another colleague asks, "So, you're taking measures to protect a convicted child rapist?"
The response from spokesperson van Vliet is as clear as it is painful: "We are protecting a convicted child rapist so that he can practice his sport as well as possible and for a tournament that he has qualified for." These are sentences that sound cold, without remorse. But the case is complex.
Van de Velde, then 19, meets the girl through Facebook. She presents herself as a 16-year-old. Both build a relationship of trust. The young elite athlete longs for a normal teenage life, and she understands him. Only later does she reveal her actual age. Van de Velde breaks off the contact but quickly resumes it. He visits her in her English homeland. When they are alone, they have sex three times over two days, and they are also said to have consumed alcohol. Van de Velde insists that it was consensual. According to The Guardian, the girl told him that he was hurting her. It was her first time. Van de Velde advises her to take the morning-after pill. The staff at the medical facility are said to have been skeptical due to the girl's young age. The case becomes known, reaching the girl's mother and the police.
Sex with children under 13 is legally considered rape in the UK, regardless of whether force was used or not. This aligns with the moral understanding of most people, as children under 13 are deemed incapable of making free decisions about sex. Van de Velde was extradited to England, where he was sentenced to four years in prison. After serving one year, he was deported back to his home country and released a month later. In the Netherlands, the laws are more lenient, classifying his offense as "indecency," a lesser crime. However, the charge of child rape still hangs over him.
IOC not "happy and satisfied"
Van de Velde has previously expressed regret, calling it "the biggest mistake of his life" and stating that he must live with the consequences. In Paris, he faced jeers and whistles, while on social media, he and his wife (with whom he now has a child) have been targeted with hate. A petition calling for his exclusion from the games has gathered nearly 100,000 signatures.
The IOC only agreed to his participation after an extended debate with the Dutch Olympic Committee. IOC spokesman Mark Adams recently stated that describing the IOC as "happy and satisfied" would be incorrect. The Dutch NOC has thoroughly justified the nomination, and the IOC accepts the situation as it is. Adams noted that the incident occurred ten years ago, and van de Velde has the right to rehabilitation. Additionally, there are strong protective measures in place at the Olympics. Van de Velde has chosen not to stay in the Olympic Village. The Dutch federation supports his rehabilitation, stating that the risk of reoffense is virtually non-existent.
The case has significantly overshadowed van de Velde's sporting performances with partner Immers. Immers expressed disappointment at the extensive negative attention, stating, "I've known the guy for three or four years, we've played every tournament together. And only now is there this big discussion." He would like to move past the past, but it seems unrealistic. Immers admitted, "I'm still on social media, I'm still young," but tries to block out some things and avoid reading certain comments. Press officer John van Vliet emphasized that the topic had not been raised at "at least 100 tournaments" previously. Whether van de Velde will give interviews in case of an Olympic victory is up to him.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Steven van de Velde's legal conviction for raping a 12-year-old girl in the UK remains uncontested. Thisheinous act, considered rape under UK law regardless of consent or force, has led to widespread outrage and calls for his exclusion from the Olympics.
Understanding the nuances of different legal systems, the crime was classified as "indecency" in the Netherlands, a lesser offense. Nevertheless, the stain of child rape remains on van de Velde's record.
