Dutch seaside volleyball participant Steven van de Velde was not warmly welcomed by the general public on the Paris Olympics. He was allowed to compete regardless of being convicted of raping a minor nearly a decade in the past.
Steven van de Velde made his debut immediately (July 29) on the Olympic Video games. And though he was paired with Matthew Immersem is ranked tenth on the earth, however in Paris he needed to swallow a 1:2 defeat towards the twenty fifth Italian pair on the earth Alex Ranghieri i Adrian Carambula.
The Dutchman was definitely not helped by the Parisian viewers, who booed him a number of instances. It is because van de Velde is a convicted intercourse offender. Though he served his sentence behind bars and underwent rehabilitation, the case stays controversial to this present day.
It is a case from 2016, when van de Velde was sentenced to 4 years in jail for raping a 12-year-old woman. It occurred in London, the place the Dutchman got here when he was 19.
He had beforehand organized to have intercourse on-line with a younger Englishwoman who was two weeks away from her thirteenth birthday. Her mother and father discovered concerning the incident and notified the police.
The arrested Dutchman admitted to having intercourse with a minor thrice, however she defended him in courtroom, claiming that the whole lot had been consensual. Nevertheless, a British courtroom dominated that intercourse with such a younger lady constituted rape and sentenced van de Velde to such a sentence.
Controversy on the Video games
The Dutchman served his sentence in his dwelling nation however was launched after a 12 months. In keeping with Dutch regulation, he didn’t commit rape, however solely “sexual activity with an individual below the age of consent.”
The truth that the Dutchman admitted guilt, cooperated with the investigation, and underwent resocialization, together with remedy with a psychologist, was additionally cited as mitigating circumstances. He additionally expressed regret for his actions.
In Holland, it was determined that he may return to skilled sports activities, which allowed him to qualify for the Olympics. However this precipitated controversy amongst some followers and even some opponents. Van de Velde moved exterior the Olympic Village.
The participant was additionally defended by his teammate. “He understood his mistake, served his penalty and did the whole lot to make amends. I believe he has the fitting to dwell a standard life,” Matthew Immers instructed reporters.
Van de Velde himself instructed the Dutch press earlier than the Video games solely that he “can not reverse the most important mistake of his life and can endure the results for the remainder of his life.”
A web-based petition has been launched towards his efficiency in Paris, which has already been signed by over 90,000 individuals. Van de Velde can also be transferring round with safety. He might be again on the pitch on Wednesday (July 31) to face the Spanish pair of brothers Marco i Esteban Grimalt.
