Dutch Volleyball Player, Convicted Of Raping A Minor, Booed At Paris Olympics

Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, a convicted child rapist, was met with boos during his Olympic debut in Paris.

He was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting to three counts of rape involving a 12-year-old British girl.

He met his victim on Facebook, travelled from Amsterdam to the UK in 2014, and raped her in Milton Keynes. Despite his sentence, he served only 12 months, sparking strong reactions from the public.

During the volleyball competition near the Eiffel Tower, Van de Velde and his teammate Matthew Immers played against the Italian pair Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula.

When Van de Velde was introduced, he was greeted exclusively with boos.

The Dutch Olympic Committee maintains that Van de Velde has been successfully rehabilitated and deserves his place in the squad. However, Rape Crisis England & Wales has called his inclusion at the Games "shocking."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has faced calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024. Despite this, the IOC insists it has no plans to prevent the Dutchman from competing.

Dutch team spokesperson John van Vliet said the decision to shelter van de Velde was made by the National Olympic Committee and shared with the IOC. When asked if they were protecting a convicted child rapist, he responded, "We are protecting a convicted child rapist to do his sport as best as possible and for a tournament which he qualified for."

He recognised the gravity of sex-related crimes, saying they were a more significant concern than sport. Van de Velde has fulfilled all conditions to compete again after serving his sentence, he added.

Van de Velde is understood to be staying outside the Olympic Village at his request and will not participate in the usual post-match mixed zone interviews.