Athlete convicted of rape competes in Paris olympics amidst uproar

Steven Van de Velde was 19 years old when he raped a 12-year-old girl. Later, he claimed that the girl "was fully aware of what she was doing." Now, the athlete is competing in the Olympic Games in Paris. Very little attention has been given to how Steven Van de Velde's presence might affect victims of sexual abuse, noted "The Guardian."

She was 12 years old and fully aware of what she was doing – Steven Van de Velde defended himself. In a conversation with the media, he also complained, among other things, that "he is being called a sexual monster and a pedophile" and recalled how he cried in his prison cell on New Year's Eve.

In 2016, Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl three times. He committed the crimes in the UK, where he had traveled to meet the girl he met through social media. Ultimately, the athlete served his sentence in the Netherlands and regained his freedom after 12 months.

It turned out that repeatedly raping a child did not harm the Dutch athlete's career. Today, Van de Velde competes in the Olympic Games as a beach volleyball player. His victim has attempted suicide and remains under psychological care to this day.

He served his sentence and openly regretted "the biggest mistake of his life." But is that enough for him to represent the Netherlands at the Olympic Games, events where participants are also meant to be role models? "The Guardian asks.

International media and support groups for sexual abuse victims certainly don't think so. Many condemned the decision to allow Van de Velde to play and even called on the International Olympic Committee to investigate how he was permitted to participate in the competition – points out the British newspaper, noting that in the Netherlands itself "the matter did not cause much commotion."

As reported, the information did not appear on the front pages of Dutch newspapers, and no columnists or authorities expressed surprise or outrage over Van de Velde's participation.

Moreover, Pieter van den Hoogenband – head of the Dutch Olympic mission, admitted that he is "surprised by the commotion" caused by the athlete's performance. He noted that Van de Velde had already returned to international sports in 2017 (just after being released from prison) and participated in the European and World Championships.

The Dutch Olympic Committee, which selected Van de Velde, stated that he had already served his sentence, and experts determined there was no risk of him committing the offense again. The volleyball player was also said to have shown that he "has matured and positively changed his life."

"The Guardian" explains the Dutch subdued reaction by emphasizing that in England, sex with a 12-year-old is rape, regardless of the circumstances. In contrast, under Dutch law, his offense was considered a lesser crime (ontucht) – a sexual act violating socio-ethical norms.

Sporting bodies are sending a dangerous message to rapists and causing "collateral damage" to victims of sexual abuse – emphasizes "The Guardian."

Sara Alaoui from an organization supporting sexual abuse victims on Dutch radio demanded that the victim's perspective be considered and emphasized that Van de Velde could do much more to rehabilitate himself in this situation. She pointed out that a mere expression of remorse is not enough, and the athlete could use his notoriety to openly and sincerely discuss the impact of sexual abuse on victims.