The inclusion of Steven van de Velde at Paris Olympics 2024 has stirred a controversy among several athletes at the Games Village.
Paris: Controversy has gripped Paris Olympics 2024 even before it started with Dutch volleyball star Steven van de Velde being at the centre of it. Van de Valde’s participation at Paris Olympics 2024 didn’t go well with several other athletes from different countries as the Dutch national was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in Milton Keynes.
Van de Velde was guilty of three counts of rape and was jailed for four years before he took up volleyball in 2017. The 29-year-old served a part of his sentence in Britain before being transferred to the Netherlands where he was eventually released. Based on a Mail Online report, the law relating to sex with minors is less stringent in the Netherlands and that’s what helped Van de Velde’s case be viewed more leniently. Van de Velde will not stay with his teammates at the Olympic Village in Paris.
“We are implementing concrete measures to ensure a safe sporting environment for all Olympic participants following Steven van de Velde’s participation in the Olympic Games,” the Dutch team said in a press release.
With Van de Valde not allowed to speak to the media, it means his teammates had bear all the questions about his actions. His teammate Matthew Immers also had to limit his comments on many of his Instagram posts in order to avoid the backlash.
“It’s a shame people talk about him like that. I know the Steven of today, and I’m happy about that. He’s a very good partner for me. We have fun and good company on and off the field, that’s the most important thing for me,” Immers said on Tuesday. Van de Velde is married to a German volleyball player and the duo has a child together.
