Steven Van de Velde ‘isn’t a risk’, a Dutch Olympic official said in an email, as abuse survivors urged the team to withdraw the volleyball player

A senior official with the Dutch Olympic committee has insisted that a convicted child rapist in its beach volleyball team is not a paedophile, in an email seen by the Guardian.

A concerned British man who has lived in the Netherlands for more than a decade, wrote to the Dutch Olympic committee and called the inclusion of Steven van de Velde in the team “a stain on the Dutch national side”. In a reply the Dutch Olympic committee spokesperson wrote: “Steven is NOT a peadophile [sic]; you really don’t think that de Dutch NOC would send someone to Paris who IS a real risk? No, he isn’t a risk.”

There has been mounting public anger at the presence of the beach volleyball player Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016. Earlier this week the International Olympic Committee faced calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024. The IOC has said the selection of athletes for the Games was the responsibility of individual committees.

There has been mounting public anger at the presence of the beach volleyball player Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016. Earlier this week the International Olympic Committee faced calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024. The IOC has said the selection of athletes for the Games was the responsibility of individual committees.

  • Shadow@lemmy.caEnglish
    137·
    3 months ago

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_van_de_Velde

    Under a treaty between the Netherlands and UK, Van de Velde was transferred to the Netherlands to serve his sentence. The sentence was at that time adjusted in line with Dutch law, and the charge of rape was substituted for that of fornication.[11] After serving a year of his original four year sentence, he was released from prison.[8]

    So basically the Dutch think it’s ok for a 19 year old to get a 12 year old drunk and rape her.

    The victim would eventually go on to self-harm and once overdosed.

    Some people are saying it ok because it was consensual, this doesn’t make it sound very consensual to me.

    Wtf.

    • GoosLife@lemmy.worldEnglish
      71·
      3 months ago

      Consensual? Kids cannot consent. Kids are confused, curious hormone bombs who are easily manipulated and tend to put a lot of trust in adults who sound like they know what they’re doing. That’s the entire point of why we place that responsibility on the adults, and not the kids who don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.

    • Snapz@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      3 months ago

      “Some people are saying…”

      Who Tyler… Who are you talking about here?

      You can’t have consensual sex with a 12 year old.

    • gmtom@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      3 months ago

      So basically the Dutch think it’s ok for a 19 year old to get a 12 year old drunk and rape her.

      No, he was put in prison for it. You can criticise the length of the sentence if you want, but phra as ING it like they let him off Scott free is misleading.

    • Dr. Moose@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Generally I believe in rehab but this case is seriously WTF. The dude’s lack of remorse is even bigger WTF. No one should be defending this monster.