CNN
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Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl, has spoken out for the first time since the controversy surrounding his Olympic participation.
Van de Velde, who is now 30 but was 19 at the time of the 2014 crime, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016, according to British media. He was released in 2017 and this year represented the Netherlands in beach volleyball at the Paris Olympics with the support of the Dutch volleyball federation Nebobo.
His participation in the Olympics caused a huge uproar on social media, with many criticising him as unworthy of the Olympics.
“There were definitely moments before and during the tournament when I wanted to quit,” van de Velde told Dutch national broadcaster NOS in an interview published on Tuesday.
“But I thought, ‘I’m not going to give anyone the power to intimidate me or get rid of me,'” he added in the interview.
Van de Velde, along with teammate Matthew Immers, reached the round of 16 but lost to Brazil and was booed repeatedly, according to media reports. Van de Velde said this “affected” his performance but understood why people were clamoring for him to qualify for the Olympics.
“Do you want someone with a pedigree? Can he be on the podium? That’s an obvious question… (but) I’m not the person I was 10 years ago,” van de Velde added.
“I can’t change what people think of me,” he added. “Someone may forever hold me responsible for what happened, and that’s fine. That’s their right, and I accept that.”
Juliece Colon, CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, previously said in a statement to CNN that the organization was “deeply concerned that someone convicted of sexual assault against a minor will be able to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.”
“Teams from all over the world will be gathering in Paris, many of whom are underage athletes, and this sends a dangerous message that medals and money are more important than their safety. Participation in sport is a privilege, not a right,” she added ahead of his appearance.
Australia’s head of delegation Anna Mears declined to discuss specific cases involving other countries’ national team selection but was one of many who spoke out about van de Velde’s selection, saying “if any player or staff held such beliefs they would not be allowed to be part of our team.”
“We have strict policies in place regarding safety within our team.”
“We know Steven’s history,” Nebobo general manager Michel Everaert said in a statement when van de Velde was selected in late June.
Everaert said the federation had had extensive discussions with the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC), the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and van de Velde himself before allowing him to return to competition.
“He was convicted under British law at the time and served his sentence. We have been in constant contact with Steven since then and he has now fully reintegrated into Dutch volleyball,” Everaert added in a statement.
Van de Velde served part of his sentence in England before being transferred to the Netherlands, where he was released and returned to active duty in 2017, Nebobo said.
Nebobo and the Dutch Olympic Committee said in a statement they supported van de Velde, adding that they, along with the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), had consulted experts who believe there is “zero” risk of him reoffending.
“Following his conviction and punishment, Steven van de Velde has made a progressive return to the highest level of sport under probation, coaching and other expert guidance and has been taking part again in international competitions since 2017,” Nebobo said in a statement.
The Dutch NOC added that van de Velde had returned to professional sport under guidelines “which set out, among other things, the conditions under which top-level athletes may return after a criminal conviction”.
“Van de Velde meets all the Olympic qualification requirements and will be part of the team,” the committee added.
The International Olympic Committee told CNN: “The nomination of individual team members following in-stadium qualification is the sole responsibility of each National Olympic Committee. Please therefore contact the Dutch NOC for further information.”
