Olympic beach volleyball player’s dark past sparks controversy in Paris

Steven Van de Velde is competing in the Olympic Games, despite having been convicted in the past for raping a 12-year-old girl. It has been revealed that in Paris, the athlete receives special treatment – unlike others, he does not have to give interviews.

Steven Van de Velde and Matthew Immers appeared on the beach volleyball court in Paris on Saturday, 27 July. The Dutchmen faced off against the Italian duo Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambuli and lost 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 mentioned, 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.

The newspaper reports that John van Vliet, the spokesperson for the Dutch Olympic Committee, emphasized that the volleyball player "is a person who was convicted, served his sentence, and did everything to be able to compete again."

In 2016, the 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.