Steven Van de Velde ‘isn’t a risk’, a Dutch Olympic official said in an email, as abuse survivors urged the team to withdraw the volleyball player

A senior official with the Dutch Olympic committee has insisted that a convicted child rapist in its beach volleyball team is not a paedophile, in an email seen by the Guardian.

A concerned British man who has lived in the Netherlands for more than a decade, wrote to the Dutch Olympic committee and called the inclusion of Steven van de Velde in the team “a stain on the Dutch national side”. In a reply the Dutch Olympic committee spokesperson wrote: “Steven is NOT a peadophile [sic]; you really don’t think that de Dutch NOC would send someone to Paris who IS a real risk? No, he isn’t a risk.”

There has been mounting public anger at the presence of the beach volleyball player Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016. Earlier this week the International Olympic Committee faced calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024. The IOC has said the selection of athletes for the Games was the responsibility of individual committees.

There has been mounting public anger at the presence of the beach volleyball player Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016. Earlier this week the International Olympic Committee faced calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024. The IOC has said the selection of athletes for the Games was the responsibility of individual committees.

  • eatthecake@lemmy.worldEnglish
    272·
    5 months ago

    They’re saying rapists aren’t a real risk, only pedophiles, that’s disturbing to me.

    • Nightwatch Admin@feddit.nlEnglish
      5·
      5 months ago

      Indeed, you are right and I should be this precise as well. There are paedophiles actively working with therapists and other professionals to handle their nature, which is to be applauded.
      Rapists, on the other hand, have actually acted, independent of their nature. So this Steven van de Velde is a convicted child rapist and that’s bad enough. Whether he is a paedophile or not is not really a thing feom here on.

      So, NOC: STEVEN VAN DE VELDE IS A CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST - AND IT WAS INTENTIONAL. He should NOT be on a sports team AT ALL.