Cheering at Dutch rapist’s debut on Olympic beach volleyball

PARIS >> There were some discreet boos and mixed emotions in the crowd as Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, a convicted rapist, made his debut for the 2024 season in Paris on Sunday, playing in bright sunshine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in Britain in 2016 after raping a 12-year-old girl two years earlier, when he was 19.

After serving part of his sentence there, he was transferred to the Netherlands. He has been participating in beach volleyball again since 2017.

Among the spectators was Melissa Gautier, a 23-year-old health care worker, who said she thought he should not have been there.

“As an athlete, you shouldn’t be given a free pass,” she said.

Andrea Syslos, a 47-year-old lawyer from Italy, knew nothing about the case, but when he heard about it he said: “It’s not right. Sports law should be stricter than civil law.

“Maybe he shouldn’t be in prison anymore, but it’s not normal for him to participate in the Olympic Games, where he should be an example for other people,” he said.

German architect Alexandra Bertram, 46, who also attended the competition, said she didn’t mind Van de Velde being there.

“I read about this and I think everyone deserves a second chance. He is allowed to be here (legally) and so he can be here.”

Van de Velde played with his Dutch teammate Matthew Immers against the Italians Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Ignacio Carambula Raurich in a match in Pool B for the men at the Olympic Games in Paris.

IOC SATISFIED

The International Olympic Committee said on Saturday that it was satisfied with the Dutch Olympic team’s explanation regarding Van de Velde’s participation.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the committee was not entirely satisfied with the situation, but that “a crime occurred 10 years ago, there has been a lot of rehabilitation and strong protection measures have been put in place.”

The Dutch team has taken measures to mitigate the impact of Van de Velde’s participation by moving him to alternative accommodation in Paris rather than the athletes’ village, and he has been banned from speaking to the media.

Alienor Laurent, co-president of the French feminist collective “Osez le feminisme!” (Dare to be feminist), mobilised against Van de Velde’s participation and was furious that he was allowed to take part in the Olympic Games.

“What is the message to victims? That sporting talent is worth more than their dignity,” she told Reuters last week.