Olympian convicted of child rape avoids interviews in Paris games

Steven Van de Velde and Matthew Immers appeared on the beach volleyball court in Paris on Saturday, July 27. The Dutchmen faced off against the Italian duo Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambuli, losing 1-2 after an intense hour-long battle. The 29-year-old was greeted by the audience with jeers and boos. Despite this, Dutch fans could also hear applause from the stands.

Athletes participating in the Olympics in Paris are required to give interviews to the media. However, this does not apply to Van de Velde. After the match, Matthew Immers answered some questions about his teammate, including his past indiscretions.

I think Steven is a really good example from who he is right now. What is in the past is in the past. He had his punishment and now he’s really kind. For me that’s a big example that he learned a lot. Of course, what happened in the past is not good - his words are quoted by "The Sun" service.

In 2016, then-19-year-old Steven Van de Velde admitted to raping a 12-year-old girl. They reportedly had multiple sexual encounters, but he maintained that they did so solely with her consent. At that time, the volleyball player was already representing the Netherlands in beach volleyball, and for his crime, he was sentenced to four years in prison but spent 12 months behind bars before being released early.