Paris 2024: Boos greet convicted rapist at his first match

With cameras pointing at him, Steven van de Velde warmed up for his first match of the beach volleyball tournament at the Paris Olympics, alongside his playing partner Matthew Immers.

Under normal circumstances, such a warmup session would be of little significance and even less interest. But Van de Velde's participation at these Olympics is anything but normal.

In 2016, the Dutchman was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl whom he had met on Facebook in 2014 when he was 19. He received a four-year prison sentence but served only 12 months in the UK before being transferred back to the Netherlands, where he served just one month, as there, the crime was seen as less severe.

Away from the glare of the public, the warmup session was to be the calm before the storm.

Van de Velde, now 29, was loudly booed when he was introduced to the crowd by name before his country's pool match against an Italian pair on Sunday, although the Dutch fans in attendance tried to drown out the negative noise with some cheers.

Van de Velde's participation shows 'attitude of entitlement'

As the booing suggested, Van de Velde's participation in Paris has caused widespread anger and concern, with a petition calling for him to be disqualified from the Games nearing 100,000 signatures.

Sarah McGrath, CEO of Women for Women France, told DW it was "unacceptable that Van de Velde has been allowed to come to France to compete."

McGrath, whose organization supports victims of gender-based violence, added that Van de Velde's decision "to continue with this participation, despite calls from survivor advocate groups, shows an attitude of entitlement and a total lack of concern for the harm this will cause rape survivors."

However, sports authorities in the Netherlands have stood by Van de Velde, who returned to international competition soon after his release from jail.

In a statement released ahead of the Games, the Dutch Olympic Committee said that the player's return was made possible thanks to a "specialist treatment programme" and that Van de Velde had met "all the stringent risk assessment thresholds, checks and due diligence."

He is not living at the Olympic village with the other athletes to ensure a "safe sporting environment for all participants" and has been given a pass from the usually obligatory media duties.

Those instead fell to Immers, Van de Velde's 23-year-old teammate, who told reporters after the match that the pair were "disappointed" by the attention that the incident has created.

"What's in the past is in the past," Immers said. "He had his punishment and now he's really kind. For me that's a big example that [he] grew and learned a lot from it. Of course, what happened in the past is not good."

Olympic officials won't block Van de Velde's participation

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the organizer of the Olympic Games but has so far chosen not to intervene, saying it was the responsibility of the Dutch Olympic Committee to pick its team.

However, that is despite the IOC's own rules giving it the final say on who competes at the Games.

Asked by DW at Saturday's daily press briefing if the IOC felt comfortable and happy with the idea of a convicted rapist taking part in the Olympics, the organization's spokesperson, Mark Adams, said: "To characterize it as comfortable and happy would not be correct."

Adams added: "This crime occurred 10 years ago. There's a great deal of rehabilitation that's taken place and there's also very strong safeguarding in place. We feel that the statement they [the Dutch Olympic Committee] have given us is correct and we will continue with the situation as it is."

For McGrath, sports authorities have failed to "fully grasp what a serious crime the rape of a child is," questioning their leadership and judgement.

"The International Olympic Committee must open an investigation into how this was allowed to happen and use this as a wakeup call," she said.

'Victims must bear a lifetime of trauma'

Some argue that Van de Velde deserves a second chance, having served his time and undergone "professional counselling." In an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NOS in 2018, he called the incident the "biggest mistake" of his life.

The Dutch Olympic Committee says there's no risk of a relapse into his previous behavior, and one of its press officers told reporters after the Italy match that the incident shouldn't be brought up at the Olympics.

"The general matter of sex convictions … is definitely a much bigger issue than sport," said John van Vliet, the press officer.

"But in his case, we've got a person who has been convicted, did his sentence and did everything afterwards to be able to compete again."

However, McGrath dismisses such attitudes as "misguided."

"Van de Velde was not convicted of theft of a car, he was convicted of raping a child," she said. "A child who was so distressed by the rape that she self-harmed.

"Van de Velde's participation tells survivors once again that a man's career and reputation is more important than their trauma; victims must bear a lifetime of trauma but perpetrators can go on to have successful high-profile careers representing their country."

In some acknowledgement of the seriousness of the situation, Immers expressed concern for Van de Velde's victim when asked by DW how he thinks she feels when watching him compete.

"For sure, it's not nice," he said.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold