An individual with a criminal history participating in the Netherlands team at the Paris 2024 Olympics received a mixed reaction from the crowd as he made his entrance for his inaugural beach volleyball match on Sunday.
Steven van de Velde, who was convicted for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2016, suffered a defeat in his first game alongside partner Matthew Immers. The inclusion of the beach volleyball player in Paris has sparked controversy, with victims’ groups expressing concerns about the message it sends to rapists and the potential harm it may cause to survivors of sexual abuse.
Boos were audible when Van de Velde was introduced to the crowds at the Eiffel Tower Stadium in central Paris, but were replaced with cheers when his Dutch teammate Immers took to the field of play before the pair’s match against Italy.
There had been a mixture of boos and cheers as the players had entered the arena together, but when Van de Velde was introduced on his own, the jeers were more pronounced. While there was some muted applause for the player, there were no cheers. Van de Velde raised his arm as he walked on to the sandy court, which is directly next to the Eiffel Tower.
The Italians Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Ignacio Carambula Raurich took the first set 22-20, the Dutch won the second 21-19, and the deciding third set was 15-13 to the Italians.
country, Van de Velde, who is now 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to raping the British girl. He had flown to England to meet her in 2014 with full knowledge of her age, having met her on Facebook. Van de Velde served 12 months in a British prison before being transferred to his home country, where he was released after a further month.
The boos that greeted the player are unusual at the Games and were incongruous in this most spectacular of venues, where crowds had earlier performed several Mexican waves and cheered as dancers entertained them between matches.
Two Dutch fans said they had bought tickets for the event a year and a half ago, before the scandal blew up. Anna from Utrecht, who did not want to give his surname, said: “I think he has had his penalty, so now he can start with a clean sheet.”
His friend Jesper, who also did not want to give his second name, said the case had sparked a lot of debate among Dutch people. “The crime he committed is, of course, a sensitive one,” he said. “That’s why people are also a little bit struggling, because we have conversations like, are we cheering him on or not? It’s different; if it were any other Dutch person, we wouldn’t even have that discussion.” He added that he also thought Van de Velde had served his time and should be allowed to play. “You respond from emotion, which is completely correct. But we also have a legal system.”
The International Olympic Committee was confronted with calls for an investigation earlier this week about the manner in which the player had been permitted to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. As a reaction to a worried British man who resides in the Netherlands, a top official with the Dutch Olympic Committee has insisted that Van de Velde was not a paedophile.
The aforementioned individual had referred to the participation of Van de Velde in the team as “a stain on the Dutch national side.” “Steven is not a peadophile,” the spokeswoman for the Dutch Olympic Committee responded in response to the question. “You really don’t think that the Dutch NOC would send someone to Paris who is a real risk?” No, he does not pose a threat.
According to reports, Van de Velde has made a request to leave the Olympic Village, and he has been granted permission to skip the post-match interviews that take place in the mixed zone.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the decision to include athletes in competition is left up to the Olympic committees of each individual nation. After being asked if the International Olympic Committee was “comfortable and happy” with Van de Velde’s participation, the organization’s spokesperson, Mark Adams, responded, “I think to characterize it as ‘comfortable and happy’ would not be correct.” In addition, he stated, “I believe that a criminal act could have taken place a decade ago.” It is my belief that the athlete in issue is not even staying in the village, despite the fact that a significant amount of rehabilitation has been carried out and that there is also a very solid protection system in place.
Taking into consideration Van de Velde’s participation in the Olympics, the Dutch Olympic Committee issued a statement in which it stated that it had implemented “concrete measures” to guarantee a secure sporting environment for all athletes competing in the Olympics.
It was said that Van de Velde had fulfilled all of the conditions and had reached the severe risk assessment levels. Furthermore, it was stated that there is no possibility of him committing another offense. “Van de Velde has consistently remained transparent about the case, which he refers to as the most significant misstep of his life,” the committee said. “Van de Velde has been transparent about the case.” The ramifications of his conduct for others who were engaged are something that he truly regrets. He has openly discussed the personal transformation he has experienced as a direct result of this.
When asked about the “unexpected renewed attention, on social media in particular, for those struggling with trauma from sexual offenses and transgressive behavior,” the organization expressed its “regret” for the situation.