THE Dutch Olympic Committee has defended its decision after selecting a child-rapist athlete to play in the country's volleyball squad at this year's Paris games.
The sports board has insisted disgraced volleyball star Steven van de Velde will represent the Netherlands despite having been jailed for raping a 12-year-old British girl.
After the move sparked outrage, the committee said the criminal had shown "self-insight and reflection" 10 years after the horrific case.
At 19 years old, Van de Velde flew from his native Netherlands to the UK to meet his 12-year-old Brit victim after grooming her on Facebook in 2014.
The girl told her family she was staying with a friend and snuck out to meet with the sports star at a hotel.
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When they couldn't make a booking, they later returned to the victim's empty home where they had sex.
He was sentenced to four years imprisonment after admitting to three counts of rape against the child.
Judge Francis Sheridan said to him at the time: "Prior to coming to this country you were training as a potential Olympian.
"Your hopes of representing your country now lie as a shattered dream."
Linda Strudwick, Van de Velde's own defence lawyer, said of the verdict at Aylesbury Crown Court: “The headlines say it all: ‘A sex monster.’
"It’s plainly a career end for him.”
But the volleyball athlete has now been selected to play as part of the Paris Olympic team with the decision being blasted as a "shameful appointment."
Since his release, the Dutch Olympic Committee has reportedly supported his Olympic ambitions along with his presence in Paris, despite the uproar.
The committee said: "Since 2018, Steven van de Velde has been participating in international beach volleyball tournaments again following an intensive, professionally supervised trajectory,
"After his release, he sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him – privately and professionally – self-insight and reflection."
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It also indicated that Van de Velde’s reintroduction into the Games satisfied the Dutch volleyball federation.
But the International Olympic Committee has sought to distances itself from the controversy.
They said: "The nomination of individual team members, following qualification on the field of play, is the sole responsibility of each respective National Olympic Committee."
In a past interview, Van de Velde spoke of his guilt, saying: "I can’t reverse it, so will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life."
But speaking about his conviction in 2017, he said: "I have been branded as a sex monster, as a paedophile. That I am not, really not."
Upon his release in the same year, the sick sportsman tried to defend himself and moaned people weren't hearing "his side of the story".
His comments were slammed by the National Society for Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
A spokesman said: "Van de Velde’s lack of remorse and self-pity is breathtaking, and we can only begin to imagine how distressed his victim must feel if she sees his comments.
“Grooming can leave a child feeling ashamed or even guilty, because they believe they have somehow willingly participated when, in fact, an adult has preyed upon them in order to sexually exploit them.”
The decision to allow the sportsman to represent the country has sparked outrage and disgust amongst Olympic fans.
Some social media users took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their disbelief.
One user wrote: "This is incredibly tone-deaf and of all my years seeing brazen statements, defending a convicted child rapist to be allowed on your Olympic team has to be the worst I've seen."
Another read: "Dutch Olympic Team has made a shameful appointment to represent their nation. Every Dutch citizen must be embarrassed that Steven van de Velde will participate."
In his first comments since his Paris qualification, Van de Velde acknowledged the scrutiny he would receive.
He said to Dutch NOC: "In 2016 and afterwards, several Dutch media paid attention to the story,
"I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media.”
Horrific case
Van de Velde travelled to the UK to meet up with his victim and have sex with her, Aylesbury Crown Court heard during his trial almost a decade ago.
Prosecutor Sandra Beck told the court at the time: "She describes that she had met Steven Van de Velde on Facebook, they spoke regularly through that and he made her 'feel special'.
"She certainly made it clear she was seven years younger than him.
"This relationship over social media was taking place over a period of time."
The girl had added the Dutch player as a friend on Facebook after he allegedly commented on one of her photos, the court heard.
The pair would then chat every day over Facebook, Snapchat and Skype before he visited her in Milton Keynes in 2014.
The girl told her family she was staying with a friend and snuck out to try to meet with the 19-year-old at a hotel.
When they couldn't make a booking, they went to Furzton Lake in the town and drank Baileys and she performed a sex act on him.
The pair slept in cardboard boxes under a stairwell at Premier Inn because after they couldn't get a room.
The following morning, she allegedly led him to her empty house, where they had sex.
Prior to his return to the Netherlands, Van de Velde told the girl to get the morning after pill as they had not used contraception.
The girl's visit to a family planning clinic alerted authorities, who stepped in because of her young age.
Van de Velde, from Voorburg, was then extradited to the UK and arrested on suspicion of the sex acts.
The 29-year-old is now married and a father.
The news of the Dutch Olympic Committee defending itself comes after Van de Velde qualified for the Games with his partner Matthew Immers.
They are now the 11th-ranked team in the world, The Telegraph reports.
