Convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde booed as he makes debut in Olympics
A convicted child rapist taking part in this year's Olympics was met with boos as he made his debut on Sunday morning (28 July).
Appearing at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Steven van de Velde - who is an athlete in the Netherlands team - was competing in the preliminary phase of the beach volleyball men's tournament when he was booed by crowds.
The athlete, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison back in March 2016 after admitting to three counts of rape against a 12-year-old child.
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According to his own confession, van de Velde travelled to the UK back in 2014 when he was 19 years old to meet the underage victim who he'd been speaking to on Facebook.
He has admitted to three counts of rape against the girl.
Despite being found guilty of his crime, van de Velde only served a total of 12 months before being released early.
Van de Velde's inclusion in the games has led to a great deal of controversy, with many left baffled as to how the child sex offender was even selected.
However, the Dutch Olympic Committee maintains that van de Velde has been successfully rehabilitated and deserves his place.
On Sunday, van de Velde arrived with teammate Matthew Immers for their match against Italian athletes Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula.
When he was introduced, there was no cheering, but some boos could be heard from the crowds.
Why has Steven van de Velde been allowed to compete at the Olympics?
Despite the backlash, Pieter van den Hoogenband - team boss for the Netherlands - has addressed the controversial move, defending his decision to allow van de Velde to compete.
Speaking to press, the former swimming champion insisted that 'measures' had been taken to facilitate the criminal's participation in the games, which include a blanket ban on all media interviews.
Van den Hoogenband also revealed that van de Velde was being housed in a separate accommodation, away with the Olympic village, in which all other competitors were residing.
He told Dutch outlet NOS this week: "Steven has been active in international sports and the beach volleyball world for a long time.
"He has played in World Cups, European Championships and World Championships, but then you see that things are different around the Games. That things are exaggerated around the Games."
The coach even went as far as to say that van de Velde 'deserves' support from spectators.
"All athletes are dear to me and I try to support them. Steven and Matthew [Immers] are also part of that," he continued.
What have Steven van de Velde's teammates said?
Van de Velde's teammate Matthew Immers also told the publication that the criminal has been a 'second father' to him during practice.
"It’s a shame that people talk about him like that. I know the Steven of today, and I’m happy about that," he claimed.
"He’s a very good partner for me. We have fun and good company on and off the field, that’s the most important thing for me."
After the news broke last month about van de Velde's participation in the games, the sex offender told press he was 'not happy' that this 'black period' in his life had resurfaced.
He said: "That’s obvious, but I also understand that this is just part of it. In 2016 and afterwards, several Dutch media also paid attention to the story.
"I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media."
According to the BBC, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that individual committees are responsible for the selection of athletes.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said: "They have put out a statement, they've made it very clear there's a lot of safeguarding going on, special extra safeguarding."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.
Lucy Devine