Miracles of tolerance: 'He is not dangerous'
The Dutch Olympic champion who raped a 12-year-old girl is «not a paedophile», a spokesman says, insisting that beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde is «not dangerous». Meanwhile, victims are calling on the Dutch Olympic team to recall the athlete.
A senior Dutch Olympic Committee official insisted in an email seen by the Guardian that a convicted child molester on his beach volleyball team… is not a paedophile.
A concerned Briton who has lived in the Netherlands for more than a decade wrote to the Dutch Olympic Committee calling Steven van de Velde's inclusion in the team «a stain on the Dutch national reputation». In response, a Dutch Olympic Committee spokesman wrote: «Steven is NOT a paedophile; you don't think the Dutch Olympic Committee would send someone who is a real danger to Paris, do you? No, he is not.»There is growing public anger over the presence of beach volleyball player Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016, The Guardian reports. Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee faced calls to investigate how a convicted child molester was allowed to compete in Paris 2024. The IOC said it was the responsibility of individual committees to select athletes for the Games.
Van de Velde, now 29, was jailed for four years in 2016 after pleading guilty to raping a girl in Milton Keynes. He flew to England to meet her in 2014, knowing full well her age because he had met her on social media. He served 12 months in a British jail before being transferred to his home country, where he was released after another month.
The backlash has cast a shadow over one of the Olympics' most glamorous events, held in an open-air stadium at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, The Guardian reports. Van de Velde is due to compete on Sunday.
In a statement, the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) said it had taken «concrete measures» to ensure a safe sports environment for all participants in the Olympic Games in light of Van de Velde's participation. At his request, he will not remain in the Olympic Village or speak to the media.
NOC*NSF said: “Van de Velde is fully compliant and has met all stringent risk assessment, audit and due diligence requirements. Experts said there was no risk of relapse. Van de Velde has consistently remained transparent about the case, which he calls the biggest mistake of his life. He deeply regrets the consequences of his actions on those involved. He spoke openly about how his personality changed as a result of this.”
A Briton said he was “shocked” by the response he received after writing to the Dutch Olympic Committee’s press office asking what the communications strategy would be if Van de Velde won a medal. The man, who asked not to be named, called Van de Velde a “paedophile and convicted child rapist” and asked what his victim and her parents had to say about his involvement.
As well as denying he was a paedophile, the official urged him to read more about the case and “not to believe the headlines”. The official added: “We are taking steps to ensure everyone can focus on the sport, on the Games. Not a story about the past of this beach volleyball player who has competed in every international tournament since 2018.”
The Dutch National Olympic Committee continues to come under fire from groups representing survivors of sexual abuse, with one group accusing the committee of showing “no thought whatsoever to the potential impact on victims of seeing a child rapist at the Olympic Games.”
The Brave Movement, a movement of child sexual abuse survivors that is part of Together for Girls, said it had not been consulted by the Dutch Olympic Committee. In an open letter, it said the child raped by Van de Velde would face “lifelong consequences,” adding: “The perpetrators move on. Those they abuse are forced to seek healing and justice. We need a world that puts survivors at the center, not perpetrators.”
The Brave Movement added that “there is still time” for Van de Velde to withdraw his candidacy or for the Dutch Olympic Committee to withdraw him. “We believe this is the only appropriate solution,” the statement said.