The Steven van de Velde case is more complicated than it seems.

Ten years ago, Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, then 19, had sex with a 12-year-old girl. Now the convicted rapist is competing in the Olympics and is being booed. His team protects him and he keeps quiet.

On Wednesday at 16:00, Steven van de Velde will once again be competing against the Olympic Games. Together with his partner Matthew Immers, he will compete against the two Chileans Marco and Esteban Grimalt in the second match of the preliminary round of beach volleyball. Once again, the Olympic world is watching and listening attentively. Although the match is of little sporting relevance here and elsewhere, that is not at stake when van de Velde steps onto the Olympic sand. The Dutchman is a convicted child molester in England. Ten years ago, he had sex with a girl who was 12 at the time, which makes him persona non grata in the eyes of many.

When the 29-year-old first appeared before the general public on Sunday on the spectacular field in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, he was greeted with whistles and boos. During the match, there were occasional disturbances that were bound to disrupt the Dutchman’s concentration. The Olympic Games have a thing that is hard to bear. Sex with children is for many people the worst, most disgusting thing they can imagine. Now there is one for them at a festival of humanity. That is what the Olympic Games should be, a “we are one.”

Van de Velde and Immers lost their opening match against the Italian duo Alex Ranghieri/Adrian Carambula. The 29-year-old then packed his things and disappeared. What he thought of the whistles and shouts against him is unknown. Although it was agreed that the athletes would speak to journalists in the mixed zone after the match, the Dutchman did not show up. Team spokesman John van Vliet explains that the approach has been agreed with the athlete. His partner says that van de Velde “needs to rest”. Immers is therefore confronted with questions. He does not like it and it bothers him that the case is now getting so much attention.

The question-and-answer session becomes emotional. Several media outlets report this. A British journalist mutters: “She was 12!” Another colleague asks: “So, you’re taking measures to protect a convicted child rapist?”

The reaction of spokesman Van Vliet is as clear as it is painful: “We protect a convicted child molester so that he can practice his sport as well as possible and for a tournament for which he has qualified.” These are punishments that sound cold, without remorse. But the case is complex.

Van de Velde, then 19, meets the girl via Facebook. She pretends to be 16. They build a relationship of trust. The young top athlete longs for a normal teenage life and she understands him. Only later does she reveal her real age. Van de Velde breaks off contact, but quickly resumes it. He visits her in her English homeland. When they are alone, they have sex three times in two days and are said to have also drunk alcohol. Van de Velde maintains that it was consensual. According to The Guardian, the girl told him that he hurt her. It was her first time. Van de Velde advises her to take the morning-after pill. The staff at the medical institution are said to have been sceptical because of the girl’s young age. The case becomes known and reaches the girl’s mother and the police.

In the UK, sex with children under the age of 13 is legally considered rape, regardless of whether force is used or not. This is in line with most people’s moral understanding, as children under the age of 13 are not considered capable of making free decisions about sex. Van de Velde was extradited to England, where he was sentenced to four years in prison. After a year, he was deported back to his home country and released a month later. In the Netherlands, the laws are more lenient and his offence is classified as “indecency”, a less serious offence. However, he still faces charges of child rape.

IOC not “happy and satisfied”

Van de Velde has previously expressed regret, calling it “the biggest mistake of his life” and saying he has to live with the consequences. He has been subjected to taunts and catcalls in Paris, while he and his wife (with whom he now has a child) have been the target of hate on social media. A petition calling for his ban from the Games has gathered almost 100,000 signatures.

The IOC only approved his participation after an extensive debate with the Dutch Olympic Committee. IOC spokesman Mark Adams recently indicated that describing the IOC as “happy and satisfied” would be incorrect. The Dutch NOC has thoroughly justified the nomination and the IOC accepts the situation as it is. Adams noted that the incident took place ten years ago and that Van de Velde is entitled to rehabilitation. In addition, strict protection measures are in place at the Olympic Games. Van de Velde has chosen not to remain in the Olympic Village. The Dutch association supports his rehabilitation and states that the risk of recidivism is virtually zero.

The case has overshadowed the sporting achievements of van de Velde and partner Immers. Immers expressed his disappointment about the extensive negative attention and said: “I’ve known that guy for three or four years, we’ve played all the tournaments together. And only now is there this big discussion.” He would like to leave the past behind him, but that seems unrealistic. Immers admitted: “I’m still on social media, I’m still young,” but tries to block out some things and avoids reading certain reactions. Press officer John van Vliet emphasized that the subject had not been discussed at “at least 100 tournaments” before. Whether van de Velde will give interviews in the event of an Olympic victory is up to him.

Despite the ongoing controversy, Steven van de Velde’s legal conviction for raping a 12-year-old girl in the United Kingdom remains unchallenged. The heinous act, which is considered rape under British law regardless of consent or force, has led to widespread outrage and calls for him to be banned from the Olympics.

Understanding the nuances of different legal systems, the crime was classified in the Netherlands as “indecency”, a lesser offense. Nevertheless, the stain of child rape remains on Van de Velde’s criminal record.

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