Dutch volleyball player jailed for raping British schoolgirl, 12, to compete in Paris Olympics
26 June 2024, 08:06 | Updated: 26 June 2024, 08:56
A Dutch international volleyball player who was jailed for raping a 12-year-old British schoolgirl has qualified to compete in the Paris Olympics.
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Steven Van de Velde, who was 19 at the time of the assault, admitted three counts of rape against a child he met after travelling from Amsterdam in August 2014.
The girl - whom he met and spoke with on social media - was raped at an address in Milton Keynes.
Van de Velde advised her to get the morning after pill as they had not used contraception.
It was her visit to a family planning clinic that alerted the authorities, who stepped in because of the girl's young age.
Van de Velde returned to the Netherlands, but was extradited and arrested in January 2016.
He appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court the following month via a video link and sentenced to four years in prison.
However, the sportsman was allowed to return to the Netherlands to complete his sentence and was released after a year.
Following van de Velde's early release in 2017, Van De Velde said: "I do want to correct all the nonsense that has been written about me when I was locked up.
"I did not read any of it, on purpose, but I understand that it was quite bad, that I have been branded as a sex monster, as a paedophile. That I am not, really not.
"Everyone can have their opinion about me, but it is only fair if they also know my side of the story."
In response, the NSPCC said: "Van de Velde's lack of remorse and self-pity is breathtaking and we can only begin to imagine how distressed his victim must feel if she sees his comments.
"Grooming can leave a child feeling ashamed or even guilty because they believe they have somehow willingly participated when, in fact, an adult has preyed upon them in order to sexually exploit them."
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Recently, van de Velde joined up with a new partner, Matthew Immers, and they are the second ranked Dutch team for the Olympics.
They secured one of their country’s two men’s spots at Paris 2024 and are ranked 11th on the overall rankings heading into the Games.
