by Keisha Myers
This year's Paris Olympics have been rife with controversy to varying degrees, but there’s one fact that overshadows all gossip tidbits; Dutch volleyball player Steven Van de Velde’s previous convictions.
In 2016, Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to three counts of rape against a 12-year-old British girl.
Van de Velde travelled from Amsterdam in August 2014 after booking a return ticket for that same day. Although the incident was not isolated, Van de Velde groomed the 12-year-old over Facebook with regular communication between the two that was described by prosecutor Sandra Beck as an attempt to make her feel “very special.”
It was also declared by the courts that he was certainly aware of the age of his victim. Despite Van de Velde being found guilty, he only served 13 months of the sentence given to him in the UK. Adjusted in line with Dutch law, the rape charge was changed to ontucht - meaning “sexual acts that violate social-ethical norms.”
After his release in 2017, Van de Velde complained about “all the nonsense” from the media about the case, claiming the word ‘pedophile’ did not apply to him and showing a significant lack of remorse and self-pity, which the NSPCC described as “breathtaking.”
A lot of arguments on social media in support of Van de Velde state that he has in fact served his time and should be allowed to restart his career. However, the combination of Van de Velde’s premeditated agenda, lack of remorse, and the short sentence he served, show that he has been punished very little - highlighting how his sporting prowess has influenced this response.
During his return to international competitions in 2018, he said that the rapes occurred when he was 19 and argued that he was “a teenager still figuring things out,” “was sort of lost,” and that he made a “mistake.” A slight understatement for a man that raped and groomed a 12 year old - something that most 19 year olds manage not to do.
His lack of remorse for his actions and lack of acceptance at justified criticism makes it difficult to see him as anything but a predatory threat to children. The Dutch Olympic committee member John van Vliet addressed the situation by stating, “we are protecting a convicted child rapist, yes… to do his sport as best as possible at a tournament he qualified for.” Translated to: laws don’t apply to you if you’re good at sport? A dangerous message to send to the global Olympic audience.
Steven Van de Velde is a child rapist, plain and simple. He has shown no remorse for his actions yet has still been able to continue with his profession - another example that debunks the theory that sexual abuse claims ruin a career.
During the trial, Van de Velde’s sporting career was mentioned continuously as though the possibility of losing his career was enough punishment (its not) but yet his career is still ongoing.
This really begs the question; what can the Olympic committee ban people for?
Look to Sha’Carri Richardson, dropped from Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics after she tested positive for marijiuana which is not considered a performance-enhancing drug. Why was she punished more than a child rapist?
The Olympic committee should issue a formal apology to the victim and her family, and make sure he never performs again. Otherwise, they perpetuate the standard that raping children is something that is simply a blemish on an international athletes record.
With femicide on the rise globally and gender politics present at every corner of this years international sporting event, from commentator Bob Ballard remarking “you know what women are like... hanging around, doing their make-up" to Imane Khelif having her gender questioned, women’s safety needs to be addressed.
Edited by Emily Duff