The organisers of the Dutch Olympic team have come forward and defended the participation of a convicted rapist.

In 2014 Steven van de Velde a beach volleyball player raped a 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook in England, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison by a British court, however just a year later, he was transferred to the Netherlands.
Overall, he spent only about a little over a year in prison and received professional counselling in the Netherlands, following which he resumed his volleyball career in 2017.

As per the Dutch Volleyball Association’s website, The expert opinion is that the chances of him repeating the offence are low.

His participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics has rightly sparked outrage from the international media.

When organizations and events with such global credibility and prestige choose to platform convicted rapists, it deters victims and further discourages them from coming forward to seek justice.