Convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde cried during his first interview since competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he was booed by spectators while playing beach volleyball for the Netherlands.
Van de Velde, 30, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old British girl, and served just 12 months of his sentence.
Some spectators at the Olympics booed every time he served, before he and partner Matthew Immers lost to Brazil in straight sets during the final 16 stage of the tournament.
At a press conference on Tuesday for the European Beach Volleyball Championships in the Hague, Van de Velde broke down in tears as he spoke about his experience at the Olympic Games.
He told how he had "definitely thought" about not taking part in this year's competition and how seeing a photograph of his wife in a British tabloid "almost broke" him, Dutch News reports.
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“I did something wrong 10 years ago and I have to live with that,” he said, adding that "hurting people close to me", including his wife and volleyball partner Immers, was "going too far".
"That’s a moment when I thought, 'Is it worth it to me?'," said Van de Velde. The athlete added: “I know it will play a role in the rest of my life. I have to accept that, because I made a mistake."
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to allow Van de Velde to compete was met with criticism, with Rape Crisis England and Wales CEO Ciara Bergman claiming it created an “enormous sense of impunity”.
“If you can rape a child and still compete in the Olympics, despite all athletes signing a declaration promising to be a role model, that is just shocking,” she added.
The Survivors Trust previously told Yahoo News that the move to allow Van De Velde to compete in the Olympics shows that there is a “shocking toleration we have of child sexual abuse” and called for a zero-tolerance approach.
However, the IOC defended the Dutch Olympic Committee's decision to bring Van de Velde to the Games, with spokesperson Mark Adams saying: "This is an issue that was discussed with the National Olympic Committee and they assured us there were many safeguarding measures."
It is understood that Van de Velde stayed in a secret location during the tournament, at his own request, rather than the athletes' village. He did not take part in the usual post-match mixed zone interviews.
What did Steven van de Velde do?
In 2014, then aged 19, Van de Velde flew to the UK where he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl he'd met online over two days.
He was aware of the girl's age, having met her on Facebook, before travelling from Amsterdam to an address in Milton Keynes.
The rape was flagged to authorities after the girl visited a sexual health clinic for the morning after pill on the advice of Van de Velde.
Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 at Aylesbury Crown Court. At the time, judge Francis Sheridan told him: “Your actions in those two days in England have wrecked your life, and you could, had you never come to England and committed these offences, have been a leader in your sport.”
After serving 12 months of his sentence he was extradited to the Netherlands, where authorities said he would complete the rest of the jail term.
Having served one month in his native country, Van de Velde was released from prison on licence – as his crimes weren’t considered rape in the Netherlands, but instead were deemed sexual abuse, as the 12-year-old was considered able to consent.
The Netherlands’ Olympic Committee argues that Van de Velde has served his time, has completed a rehabilitation programme and does not present a risk of further offending.
However, Sarah Blakemore, research fellow at the University of Reading School of Law and chief executive of Keeping Children Safe was unconvinced. She said: "Convicted child rapists have no place at the Olympics, nor do the officials that protect them.
"Every day in every country, children are abused, raped, beaten, neglected, exploited and even murdered because leaders in organisations put reputation, power, and status over creating safer organisational cultures.
"Competitors have been banned from the Olympics for a variety of reasons including allegations of doping, marijuana use and mistreating a horse. Representing your country is a privilege and athletes are rightly expected to be role models."
The Dutchman is still banned from speaking to the girl he raped and is permanently on the UK’s sex offenders register.
Paula Radcliffe apologises for wishing van de Velde luck
British Olympic icon Paul Radcliffe found herself being dragged into the controversy after wishing Van de Velde good luck at Paris 2024.
She told LBC Radio: "I know that he is married now and has settled down.
"I think it's a tough thing to do to punish him twice and if he's managed to successfully turn his life around after being sent to prison, and to qualify and to be playing sport at the highest level, then I actually wish him the best of luck."
Radcliffe referred to athletes caught out for doping who are later allowed to return to their sports after serving bans.
After facing backlash for her remarks, Radcliffe apologised in a series of social media posts during the tournament.
"I am mortified that I expressed it so badly and didn't condemn the rape out loud," she said. "I do believe in second chances after serving punishment but think the Olympics should be for those who uphold the ideals - that's why I poorly brought the doping comparison in.
"I myself am shocked and disappointed at how I expressed this so badly. I am very sorry and should have done much better. I by no means meant to overlook the crime and meant to say those who don't uphold ideals should be excluded but can't be.
"I profoundly apologise and am deeply shocked and disappointed in myself and can't understand how I managed to convey it so badly."
