Convicted Dutch Rapist Booed During Olympics Beach Volleyball Debut

Olympics Beach Volleyball Debut

On Sunday, Netherlands beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde made his debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics amidst a tumultuous atmosphere of boos and mixed reactions from the crowd.

Van de Velde, a convicted rapist, faced significant public scrutiny as he competed under the bright sunshine at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Van de Velde’s participation in the Olympics has been controversial due to his criminal past. In 2016, he was sentenced to four years in prison in Britain for the rape of a 12-year-old girl. At the time of the crime, he was 19 years old.

Van de Velde served 13 months in prison—one year in Britain and one month in the Netherlands—before his sentence was reduced after Dutch law reclassified his offense as a lesser charge of “committing indecent acts.”

Since his release, Van de Velde has resumed his beach volleyball career and has been competing again since 2017. Despite his return to sports, the public’s reaction to his Olympic debut was polarized.

During the match, Van de Velde was met with boos from sections of the audience, although there were also moments of applause from others.

Among the spectators, Melissa Gautier, a 23-year-old health worker, expressed disapproval, stating, “Being an athlete shouldn’t give you a free pass.”

Andrea Syslos, a 47-year-old lawyer from Italy, was unfamiliar with Van de Velde’s case before the match but commented that, “Sporting justice should be harsher than civil justice.”

He suggested that while Van de Velde might not need to remain in prison, it was inappropriate for him to compete in the Olympics, a stage meant to set an example.

Van de Velde’s teammate, Matthew Immers, dismissed the criticisms, asserting, “What’s in the past is in the past. He had his punishment and now he is really kind. For me, it is an example that he grew and learned a lot from it.”

John van Vliet, a press officer for the Netherlands team, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Van de Velde’s past should not overshadow his current participation in the Games. He stated, “The general matter of sex convictions or sex-related crime is a much bigger issue than sport.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed a degree of satisfaction with the Netherlands team’s handling of the situation.

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams acknowledged the discomfort surrounding Van de Velde’s participation but noted, “A crime occurred 10 years ago, a great deal of rehabilitation has taken place, and strong safeguarding is in place.”

In response to the controversy, the Netherlands team has taken steps to mitigate the impact of Van de Velde’s presence by relocating him to alternative accommodation in Paris, separate from the athletes’ village, and advising him not to engage with the media.

The decision to include Van de Velde in the Olympics has sparked significant backlash from feminist and women’s rights groups.

Alienor Laurent, co-president of the French feminist collective “Osez le Feminisme!” (Dare to be Feminist), criticized the Olympic Committee’s decision, questioning the message it sends to victims and aggressors alike. “What is the message to victims? That sporting talent has more value than their dignity,” she argued.

The controversy has resonated beyond France, with activists and organizations in Britain and the United States also voicing strong opposition.

Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, executive director of The Army of Survivors NGO, asserted, “An athlete convicted of child sexual abuse, no matter in what country, should not be awarded the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games.”