By Layli Foroudi
PARIS (Reuters) -There have been boos, and combined emotions amongst the group, as Netherlands seashore volleyball participant Steven van de Velde, a convicted rapist, made his Paris 2024 debut for a recreation in vibrant sunshine on the ft of the Eiffel tower on Sunday.
His crew, nevertheless, had been unapologetic about van de Velde collaborating within the Olympics, saying “the previous is up to now” and that the matter shouldn’t be introduced up on the Video games.
Van de Velde was sentenced to 4 years in jail in Britain in 2016 following the rape of a 12-year-old lady two years earlier when he was 19.
He spent 13 months in jail – one 12 months in Britain and one month within the Netherlands – earlier than being freed there after what he did was re-classified beneath Dutch legislation as a lesser offence of “committing indecent acts” and his sentence was lowered.
Van de Velde has been competing in seashore volleyball once more since 2017.
He was booed a number of instances throughout Sunday’s match, although there was additionally applause from different members of the group.
Among the many spectators, Melissa Gautier, a 23-year-old well being employee, mentioned she thought van de Velde shouldn’t be there.
“Being an athlete should not provide you with a free cross,” she mentioned.
Andrea Syslos, a 47-year-old lawyer from Italy, didn’t know concerning the case, however when informed about it mentioned: “It is not a very good factor. Sporting justice needs to be harsher than civil justice.
“Possibly he should not nonetheless be in jail nevertheless it’s not regular that he’s taking part in within the Olympics the place he needs to be an instance for different individuals,” he mentioned.
However van de Velde’s teammate Matthew Immers brushed away the criticism over the now 29-year-old collaborating within the Olympics.
“What’s up to now is up to now. He had his punishment and now he’s actually type. For me it’s an instance that (he) grew and learnt rather a lot from it,” Immers informed reporters.
“I am having fun with taking part in with him,” he mentioned.
John van Vliet, a press officer for the Netherlands crew, mentioned: “It is one thing that should not be introduced up by sports activities in a match that he certified for.
“The final matter of intercourse convictions or sex-related crime is a a lot larger subject than sport however in his case we now have an individual who has been convicted, who did his sentence and did every thing afterwards that he can do to compete once more.”
IOC SATISFIED
Amongst the group watching the match, some agreed.
“I examine this and I believe everybody deserves a second likelihood. He is (legally) allowed to be right here and so he will be right here,” 46-year-old German architect Alexandra Bertram mentioned.
Van de Velde and Immers misplaced 22-20 19-21 15-13 to Italy’s Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Ignacio Carambula Raurich of their males’s Pool (NASDAQ:) B match.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee mentioned on Saturday it was happy with explanations given by the Netherlands Olympic crew concerning the participation of van de Velde.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams mentioned the committee was not completely comfy with the state of affairs however that “a criminal offense occurred 10 years in the past, an excessive amount of rehabilitation has taken place and robust safeguarding is in place.”
The Netherlands crew have taken steps to mitigate the influence of van de Velde’s participation by shifting him to different lodging in Paris and never the athletes’ village and asking him to not communicate to the media.
Alienor Laurent, co-president of French feminist collective “Osez le feminisme!” (Dare to be Feminist), mobilised towards van de Velde’s participation, was outraged that he was allowed to compete within the Olympics.
“What’s the message to victims? That sporting expertise has extra worth than their dignity,” she informed Reuters final week.
“And what’s the message to aggressors? Assaulting (a younger lady) could have no influence in your life or your profession, you can be celebrated and will have medals.”
The case has resonated extra extensively, together with in Britain and the US, the place some girls’s rights teams have campaigned towards van de Velde’s participation within the Video games.
“An athlete convicted of kid sexual abuse, regardless of in what nation, shouldn’t be awarded the chance to compete within the Olympic Video games,” mentioned Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, govt director of The Military of Survivors NGO.