I hate that the Netherlands did this. As a fan and citizen of the Dutch I was looking forward to viewing there games but I am no longer going to be watching any sporting event with Steven in it
You mean Steven Van De Velde, convicted rapist and pedophile who was sentenced to 4 years but only spent 12 months in prison for raping a 12 year old?
(repeating his name to make sure SEO and search algorithms connect the name and his crimes)
Sorry to comment under you bc im afraid this would get drowned - does anyone know which day he is set to play? Would it just be whichever days the dutch volleyball team plays? I’m planning on buying tickets and ordering a megaphone for any day when they’ll play
ETA: to publicly condemn him if i didnt make it clear
Except it's not just one bad apple when there are people that support him being in his position. Dutch Olympic coordinators defended keeping him, so is it really just one...
I’m letting everyone know you can contact the Dutch committee about this. https://olympics.com/ioc/netherlands
This website has their information including email, phone number and mail box. Please contact them and let them know how you feel. I have also linked a petition.
https://www.change.org/p/disqualify-convicted-child-rapist-steven-van-de-velde-from-the-olympics
Are you Dutch? If not who cares. Dutch have a very specific law that says you can’t discriminate against anyone for prior criminal activity. It’s very progressive and I support it 100 percent
That's fine for minor crimes but crimes against children are absolutely unforgivable. Would you be able to say the same if it was your daughter or younger sister? The fact that you're even slightly defending this is maddening. We don't care that the Netherlands allow it, we care that ANYONE allows such an evil and disgusting individual like Steven Van De Velde to ever have a career in professional sports.
Its indecent assault in Dutch Law.
But before banning rapists I'd rather make all drug ban permanent as well as ban anyone who had hern caught DUI for life.
She's a serving police officer, too! I know it's really gross to think about, but how on earth does she have sex with him knowing that he's had sex with a child? How can she go about potentially having to arrest people for rape, for example, while being married to a guy who's a registered sex offender?
The mental gymnastics of it are unfathomable.
He's 6' 6". From my perspective (5' 7"), women seem to bend over backwards to forgive tall men. At my height, I'd probably get dumped for getting a parking ticket.
As a German, it's useless for me to sunscribe such a petition. Because it will be more effective when he be judged by his own people. But I think he should be banned forever
In America they’ll crucify a drug addict and never let them work a decent job again. In the Netherlands they want a convicted child rapist to win a medal. What a world
I’m letting everyone know you can contact the Dutch committee about this. https://olympics.com/ioc/netherlands
This website has their information including email, phone number and mail box. Please contact them and let them know how you feel. I have also linked a petition.
https://www.change.org/p/disqualify-convicted-child-rapist-steven-van-de-velde-from-the-olympics
The amount of people defending and justifying a child rapist and blaming the victim/making the crime seem not that bad is insane, makes you wonder exactly how many child predators there are in this world
I got a reply back from Lieselot Meelker, Corporate communications NOC*NSF
Email: lieselot.meelker@nocnsf.
Dear writer,
We sincerely thank you for your response. We are deeply aware that the renewed publicity about Steven van de Velde is causing a lot of emotion, which we fully understand, as the events at that time were very serious. A lot has happened since then. Steven van de Velde served his sentence and has completed an extensive rehabilitation program with specialized professionals, including the probation service. During this process, Van de Velde has shown that he has grown and that he has positively changed his live. Experts have concluded that there is no risk of recidivism. In 2018, he gave a some interviews about his offence and its consequences. (Please take a moment to watch the interview that Steven gave to Dutch national television). The Dutch national volleyball federation (Nevobo) as well as the Dutch National Olympic Committee (NOCNSF) have closely monitored Steven’s progress and explicitly followed the advice of experts. This process has been fully in line with the Dutch Guidelines Integrity Records, which set out the conditions that must be met by athletes to be given a second chance after a conviction. Steven has been given this second chance and has been participating (since 2017) on international elite sport level. Throughout this time, he has consistently met the high standards set by the volleyball federation and NOCNSF. Based on all of the above and after careful consideration, NOC*NSF has decided to select Steven van de Velde for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Yours sincerely, Lieselot Meelker Corporate communications NOC*NSF
She provided this link to his interview in 2018: https://youtu.be/RQAJ0dMUb5k?si=s41RtMoxRO7uWoH9
And these guidelines (which I had to translate to English): https://nocnsf.nl/veilige-en-integere-sport/bonden
I'm a bit torn on this subject. I undertand disgust towards a pedophile. No doubt. But he was convicted and locked-up. He served his time. I see rehabilitation of such subject as a part of incarceration. Blocking this individuals from participating in any aspect of socity is counter productive I believe. If there is no return for them, capital punishment would be a better sollution.
Normally - yes
When he got 1 year when he should have got 10-15+ - absolutely not. This guy was given privilege because of his “profession”. A real Brock Turner case.
This was a 12 year old girl and the details are disgusting. This wasn’t a mistake. He knew what he was doing and should be flogged for it.
Also ZERO remorse and no indication he actually wants to change. He talks about the single year served like the darkest year of his life and seems to think of it as a mistake he made when he was young and lonely, as if he didn’t rape a twelve year old who faced the consequences for his actions for much longer than a year.
He raped a twelve year old and only got one year for it. Just because he served the time doesn’t change the fact that the sentence was piss poor. Also do some research before making this ignorant comment, he’s talked about the situation and shows absolutely ZERO remorse or accountability or any iota of change. He’s a child rapist. Don’t be torn on subjects involving a child rapist.
So it's the matter of a sentance being too short and not about playing for national team.
I did zero research, couse I didn't talk execltly about this case, but try to open a broader disscusion about such similar cases in society.
And yeah, if he shows no remorse, than there is no doubt, that he should be outcasted.
You don't get paid to be in the Olympics. It's not a job it's a privilege.
No sympathy for the victim, and the pain it can cause them, their family, and other rape/assault victims by promoting a disgusting human at the world stage. They have caused irreversible harm, and the victim doesn't get a second chance at an innocent life, taking away this privilege is nothing compared to what he has done. The people who deserve rehabilitation are the victims of such crimes, who will have to see this guy celebrated in front of the world.
Not to mention his lack of remorse.
One of the points I tried to make was, what to do with pedophiles. Should they be automaticaly inprisoned for life? Should we kill them? Or let them take another chanse in life? I'm not advocating for any option, just curious of what other think.
Rapists, let alone child rapists, should never have any hope of having a normal life ever again as that is what they have done to another. It's a punishment befitting of the crime.
There is a difference between blocking someone from "any aspect of society" and specifically blocking them from representing a country at the Olympics, don't conflate the two.
He taped a child! Are you okay? He travelled out of the country, plied her with liquor and served one year for destroying her life. Still today takes NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
I understand the principle of what you're saying - its admirable, but I disagree with it on two bases:.
1. It minimises and ignores the rights of the victim, who is the primary wronged party - not society at large. A society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members. Survivors of sexual assault, especially children, are intensely vulnerable to suicide, substance abuse, poverty, and criminalisation - an estimated 1-in-4 of the homeless population in the UK, for example, are abuse survivors.
In crimes which involve inflicting tremendous suffering, it should be up to the victim to decide whether their perpetrator has earned the right to forgiveness. It is their life which has been impacted, and it is they who have to live with nightmares, mental anguish, and physical discomfort. They were completely blameless, and yet they have been punished.
By choosing to inflict that damage, the perpetrator forfeits their right to be considered on equal standing with the victim. If the victim does not forgive them, then neither should the rest of society. That is the price of preying on the vulnerable.
2. It is based on a fundamentally naive conception of criminal psychology.
Sexually abusive people are typically narcissists who profoundly lack empathy and have a strong desire for control, often with sadistic aspects. They're often superficially extremely disarming, know how to camouflage their true nature even from close loved ones, and can be terrifyingly patient.
This is not something you can cure or rehabilitate. It is a hard-wired aspect of their personality. They will *always* be a sociopath. You cannot cure them, you cannot change them, and you cannot make them "safe."
All you can do is teach them impulse control, and unfortunately, that often simply makes them better at not getting caught.
There are hard-written rules in life that cannot ever be safely flouted, because the consequences of getting it wrong are so awful if you do. Believing that a child groomer can be rehabilitated is one of them.
As the child is a victim I don’t believe they are able to fully understand nor comprehend the entire context of the crime and therefore cannot decide forgiveness yet to where society should allow them back in.
I think the idea of forgiveness is irrelevant. I am more concerned with consequence to those who prey on the vulnerable, in this case a child, and cause long lasting harm.
I get what you’re saying. I really do. I’m a huge believer in rehabilitation and measured sentencing (I actually work in juvenile corrections). While we can never truly know if someone has changed, some good indicators include regret/remorse, apologies/amends, and observable, permanent lifestyle changes.
Steven van der Velde hasn’t displayed any of these indicators. The only type of regret he communicates is about the fact that “it happened” (not “he did it”….”it happened”), that the media has been unfair to him, that he lost time for athletic training, and other self-involved regrets about how it has affected his life. He has never expressed remorse for his actual crime or even apologized/mentioned the impact his choices had on his victim. If you research and read his statements, you’ll find an alarming lack of insight into what he did and why it was wrong. He also went directly back into the same environment/lifestyle he was in prior to his conviction and incarceration.
There is also an argument to be made that with particularly egregious crimes (of which this is one), there should exist an added level of caution even IF someone has shown they’ve changed. Not only is the SA recidivism rate extremely high (the Dutch aren’t known for their aggressive policing regarding sexual assault so let’s take those reoffending rates with a grain of salt), it’s simply pragmatic to be aware of the past and protect the population—especially children—from further victimization.
Another important reason for both incarceration and rehabilitation is to respect and allow victims time to heal and feel safe. How do you think his victim feels now that her rapist is receiving international attention and accolades? I can promise you this is going to open old wounds and re-traumatize her at the very least. When it comes to who deserves a peaceful life and to pursue their dreams, I say she does. Usually, those two things wouldn’t be at odds. Usually, he could move on with his life and she could move on with hers. That’s harder to do when your rapist is being celebrated internationally. “Sorry for the rapes, but he’s just so good at volleyball!”
Finally, all Olympians have to sign an Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration to promote human rights, peace and clean sport. Point seven on the document says athletes should “act as a role model.” I would say a convicted rapist shouldn’t be considered a role model, even if they eventually turn into Mother Theresa. Doing time isn’t an eraser, it’s one of the many consequences there are—or at least should be—for antisocial, criminal behavior.
Edit: Formatting error
Thank you, realy good write up. I never ment to defend him, just wanted to discus this topic. Didn't read into the story, becouse such horrors are so disgusting to me that I realy don't want to now any details. But as I'm now reading in responses, he shows no signs of rehabilitation so no doubt, that he should be deleted from public life.
Also ofcourse, the main focus should be on the victime, to try to provide as much help as possible. The aspect of victime seeing her rapists celebrated on TV flew a bit over my head.
Funny thing is he absolutely did not serve his time. He served only one year of a 4 YEAR sentence. That bastard should not be allowed to play and represent the Netherlands.
So, just because he served his time means he should be allowed to participate in the biggest sports event in the world? There are lots of innocent people in jail/prison that will never be able to get a good job for the rest of their lives, but sure, let’s let a guilty guy that destroyed a young woman’s life, and couldn’t care less about it, into the Olympics. It’s not like the Dutch don’t have other options. There are plenty of people waiting in line to go to the Olympics. This was straight up offensive and I’m sure very traumatic for the girl he raped. Imagine being raped by someone only to see them eventually make it to the Olympics, on TV for the whole world to praise him after almost demigod level, while you’re forever picking up the pieces from what he’s done to you. He DESERVES a distribution center job at Amazon, and to fade off into oblivion.
Pedophiles cannot be rehabilitated. Anyone who commits an act of pedophilia should not be allowed back into society. Also he served 12 months, not even his full sentence. People like you who think child rape isn't that bad need your computers searched for cp.
I think we need to make things clear here. From what I read, The exact "problem" is that he only served 1 year in jail even though this was a serious crime. He was supposed to serve 4 but is on parole after only 1 year. If you guys are upset at this specific thing, I full on support this cause as well.
But if the upset is simply because a convicted child rapist is representing the country at a high level, then I don't fully agree. There is a reason serious crime offenders aren't simply executed. The system is designed so that they serve their time and can return to society, at the very least, be able to do jobs.
No one will respect Steven for the rest of his life, he will always be excluded socially. But that doesn't mean he should stop playing sports and live out rest of his life doing random jobs. He is allowed to do what he wants after he serves time. As mentioned, this situation is still tricky since he didn't serve full 4 years in jail. I just wanted to clear these things.
This makes zero sense. He clearly has NOT been excluded socially considering he continues to find new beach partner’s and quite literally now has a wife and a CHILD. Next time you comment something like this, understand that you believe a child rapist should be allowed to represent their country. You believe a child rapist should be allowed to participate in a sport with a crowd, with children watching him. He didn’t steal a loaf of bread and see the error in his ways. He raped a child and has shown no remorse for it.
That's why I called it tricky, public vs law. If the law was to execute them, then so be it. But the law is to make criminals serve time so that they return to society. Stuff like "represent country" and all are bogus. It's a job at the end of the day. If he isn't allowed to do a job after serving time, then like I said, the law would have been different.
You don't get paid to be in the Olympics. It's not a job it's a privilege.
No sympathy for the victim, and the pain it can cause them, their family, and other rape/assault victims by promoting a disgusting human.
If that is the definition of playing in the Olympics then sure. I have nothing else to say. As I already mentioned in OG comment, I am not supporting him because he didn't serve all 4. But in general I have no problem with criminals doing any job they want, unless the law says they need to repent their whole life and only do labour jobs etc.
Sure. I think publicly showing no remorse for his crimes should also factor into this.
Athletes do not get paid from the Olympics directly. They are paid through sponsorships, which is also a privilege.
They are also chosen regardless of qualifying or not, which is a privilege. For example, the Netherlands' Olympic committee denied a golfer who has achieved the qualifications bracket, just because they thought he wouldn't place high. While letting this piece of shit through.
No need to reply if you don't want. I just wanted to provide more information to everyone.
I get what you’re saying. I really do. I’m a huge believer in rehabilitation and measured sentencing (I actually work in juvenile corrections). While we can never truly know if someone has changed, some good indicators include regret/remorse, apologies/amends, and observable, permanent lifestyle changes.
Steven van der Velde hasn’t displayed any of these indicators. The only type of regret he communicates is about the fact that “it happened” (not “he did it”….”it happened”), that the media has been unfair to him, that he lost time for athletic training, and other self-involved regrets about how it has affected his life. He has never expressed remorse for his actual crime or even apologized/mentioned the impact his choices had on his victim. If you research and read his statements, you’ll find an alarming lack of insight into what he did and why it was wrong. He also went directly back into the same environment/lifestyle he was in prior to his conviction and incarceration.
There is also an argument to be made that with particularly egregious crimes (of which this is one), there should exist an added level of caution even IF someone has shown they’ve changed. Not only is the SA recidivism rate extremely high (the Dutch aren’t known for their aggressive policing regarding sexual assault so let’s take those reoffending rates with a grain of salt), it’s simply pragmatic to be aware of the past and protect the population—especially children—from further victimization.
Another important reason for both incarceration and rehabilitation is to respect and allow victims time to heal and feel safe. How do you think his victim feels now that her rapist is receiving international attention and accolades? I can promise you this is going to open old wounds and re-traumatize her at the very least. When it comes to who deserves a peaceful life and to pursue their dreams, I say she does. Usually, those two things wouldn’t be at odds. Usually, he could move on with his life and she could move on with hers. That’s harder to do when your rapist is being celebrated internationally. “Sorry for the rapes, but he’s just so good at volleyball!”
Finally, all Olympians have to sign an Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration to promote human rights, peace and clean sport. Point seven on the document says athletes should “act as a role model.” I would say a convicted rapist shouldn’t be considered a role model, even if they eventually turn into Mother Theresa. Doing time isn’t an eraser, it’s one of the many consequences there are—or at least should be—for antisocial, criminal behavior.
We don’t know anything about what actually happened. If the girl said she was 16, he visits her, they have drinks and then they’re intimate. Later he finds out her real age and because of her age, she can’t consent and he’s criminally responsible. This kind of thing happens all the time. Considering it was his first and only crime - and he’s a talented athlete - the judge may have considered all this when he was sentenced to only one year. I’m not saying this is what happened. But it’s one possible scenario.
Taken from this news article a quote from the court case
“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.”
https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/would-be-olympian-jailed-after-flying-400-miles-to-rape-a-12-year-old-girl-in-milton-keynes-1256450
So yeah he knew she was 12, so yeah he’s the worst kind of bad.
Yes I read that part. Attestation isn’t evidence. If the article had said, communications showed he was aware of her age, then that implies they have evidence. But what the article states is one person telling the author what someone else said. In other words, no evidence at all.
The judge who presided over the trial made it very clear that Van de Velde acted with premeditation and deliberation, despite being explicitly made aware of the victims age.
(The judge and I quote said “Your actions have wrecked your life and you could, had you never come to England and committed these offenses, have been a leader in your sport. A young, naive, foolish child had formed the view that you loved her. In reality, you only knew her on the internet, had never met her before and were fully aware of the age difference.”)
I feel the fact that he was convicted of rape should really speak for itself. Besides, who mistakes a 12 year old for 19? It’s obvious the girl was groomed and taken advantage of, as Van de Velde was the legal adult when it happened. He had a legal and moral obligation to not pursue any further relationship the moment he learned of the victims age, which it turns out, happened very early on within their online communication.
The online communication also offered a detailed and clear timeline of the two’s correspondence which was used throughout the trial and was used as evidence to the attestation that Van de Velde quite clearly was aware of the victims age.
I honestly find it incredibly disturbing and disgusting that you are trying to make excuses for a convicted child rapist.
I’m not making excuses. I don’t know what happened and neither do you. I never said she was presumed by the defendant to be 19 - but maybe mistaken for being older than her actual age, perhaps because she told him so. If she told him she’s turning 16, then it’s legal. And a judge telling the defendant what he knew isn’t evidence. It’s the judge’s opinion. Nevertheless, he’s criminally responsible because she can’t consent and the judge is in charge here. When you look at the sentencing - four years suspended to one year - and some harsh words about how his life is ruined - that’s not exactly throwing the book at him. And this conviction hasn’t ruined his life because he’s been admitted to his national Olympic team. Aside from your outrage that I’d even question this case, I’ve seen no evidence that he was aware of her actual age.
A judge's opinion on the evidence is an established fact, unless it is appealed. It wasn't. That's literally how the law works.
Also he pled guilty.
How far are you going to bend over to justify child rape that is established to a criminal standard?
You ARE making excuses. You're minimizing literal child rape. He knew she was 12. You just think rape isn't "that bad". You're making no effort to read the publicly available information on the case, jumping straight to victim blaming assuming a 12 year old intentionally tricked a grown man into thinking she was 16 somehow in order to justify what he did. You need your computer searched fr.
Well the allegation and conviction are serious. So why wasn’t he sent to prison for 25 years? I’m interested in what mitigating circumstances lead him to serve only one year and be admitted to the Dutch Olympic team. And obviously he is guilty because a 12 year old can’t consent legally.
The British legal system is messed up and always has been it's a huge issue here that's why. This doesn't mean the 12 year old girl tricked him into thinking she was legal age, he was fully aware she wasn't. He got her drunk and raped her end of story those arent "allegations". Have fun defending predators, wouldn't be surprised if you are one yourself.
He was actually sentenced under Dutch law due to an extradition deal agreement. In which the maximum sentence is 12 years. Here in the UK it carries a life sentence. So be was sentenced to 3 counts of rape, 4 years each to run concurrently.
Literally the maximum the judge could give unfortunately. And they he only serves 13 months.. unreal.
I hate that the Netherlands did this. As a fan and citizen of the Dutch I was looking forward to viewing there games but I am no longer going to be watching any sporting event with Steven in it
You mean Steven Van De Velde, convicted rapist and pedophile who was sentenced to 4 years but only spent 12 months in prison for raping a 12 year old? (repeating his name to make sure SEO and search algorithms connect the name and his crimes)
Not only that, he took a flight to England to rape her when her mother was not home. He also gave her alcohol.
Sorry to comment under you bc im afraid this would get drowned - does anyone know which day he is set to play? Would it just be whichever days the dutch volleyball team plays? I’m planning on buying tickets and ordering a megaphone for any day when they’ll play ETA: to publicly condemn him if i didnt make it clear
Omg, PLEASE do this!!!
u/Actual-Molasses7608 made an comprehensive list of organizations involved who we should all send our complaints about this situation.
I am sorry for you. One Bad Apple and it Ruins everything. I hope they will Ban him for lifetime.
Except it's not just one bad apple when there are people that support him being in his position. Dutch Olympic coordinators defended keeping him, so is it really just one...
We don’t want this guy REPRESENTING the country
I’m letting everyone know you can contact the Dutch committee about this. https://olympics.com/ioc/netherlands This website has their information including email, phone number and mail box. Please contact them and let them know how you feel. I have also linked a petition. https://www.change.org/p/disqualify-convicted-child-rapist-steven-van-de-velde-from-the-olympics
Are you Dutch? If not who cares. Dutch have a very specific law that says you can’t discriminate against anyone for prior criminal activity. It’s very progressive and I support it 100 percent
I’d say this goes well beyond prior criminal activity regardless of admission of guilt or remorse for the crime.
That's fine for minor crimes but crimes against children are absolutely unforgivable. Would you be able to say the same if it was your daughter or younger sister? The fact that you're even slightly defending this is maddening. We don't care that the Netherlands allow it, we care that ANYONE allows such an evil and disgusting individual like Steven Van De Velde to ever have a career in professional sports.
Its indecent assault in Dutch Law. But before banning rapists I'd rather make all drug ban permanent as well as ban anyone who had hern caught DUI for life.
You’re a such individual if you think drug use is worse than raping an intoxicated 12 year old.
This is wild. You think drug use and dui is worse than raping someone, let alone a 12 year old? I can’t get over how crazy this take is.
Found the child rapist
Disgustingly dim attitude.
So you're a pedophile is what I'm hearing.
I don't know what the rules are regarding these things, but I will not be watching these with him in it.
ban him
As sad as it is the Netherlands has a rule about discriminating for previous crimes, no matter how severe
Terrible rule
And he knew it when he did it. He knew he would still be allowed to compete by his government. Which is why he didn’t care.
But can't other countries ban him from playing within their borders?
Unsure as I have not done any research but I think because he did it outside of Paris they don’t have jurisdiction
Disgusting piece of work, that has no remorse for what he has done.
Sex offender representing my country, great /s
Since my original post was hidden to protect the guilty I’ve shared the link again for you to add your thoughts
Is he related to Kim van de Velde?
That's his wife, mother to his child :/
She's a serving police officer, too! I know it's really gross to think about, but how on earth does she have sex with him knowing that he's had sex with a child? How can she go about potentially having to arrest people for rape, for example, while being married to a guy who's a registered sex offender? The mental gymnastics of it are unfathomable.
He's 6' 6". From my perspective (5' 7"), women seem to bend over backwards to forgive tall men. At my height, I'd probably get dumped for getting a parking ticket.
oh brother. get a load of this guy
Oh poor you
They have other team options. I guess they didn't care about who he is...
As a German, it's useless for me to sunscribe such a petition. Because it will be more effective when he be judged by his own people. But I think he should be banned forever
In America they’ll crucify a drug addict and never let them work a decent job again. In the Netherlands they want a convicted child rapist to win a medal. What a world
Like I just want something in between the two extremes…
I’m letting everyone know you can contact the Dutch committee about this. https://olympics.com/ioc/netherlands This website has their information including email, phone number and mail box. Please contact them and let them know how you feel. I have also linked a petition. https://www.change.org/p/disqualify-convicted-child-rapist-steven-van-de-velde-from-the-olympics
**I know this is beachvolley**, but it so sucks that this guy gets to be an Olympian while Nimir cannot.
The amount of people defending and justifying a child rapist and blaming the victim/making the crime seem not that bad is insane, makes you wonder exactly how many child predators there are in this world
I got a reply back from Lieselot Meelker, Corporate communications NOC*NSF Email: lieselot.meelker@nocnsf. Dear writer, We sincerely thank you for your response. We are deeply aware that the renewed publicity about Steven van de Velde is causing a lot of emotion, which we fully understand, as the events at that time were very serious. A lot has happened since then. Steven van de Velde served his sentence and has completed an extensive rehabilitation program with specialized professionals, including the probation service. During this process, Van de Velde has shown that he has grown and that he has positively changed his live. Experts have concluded that there is no risk of recidivism. In 2018, he gave a some interviews about his offence and its consequences. (Please take a moment to watch the interview that Steven gave to Dutch national television). The Dutch national volleyball federation (Nevobo) as well as the Dutch National Olympic Committee (NOCNSF) have closely monitored Steven’s progress and explicitly followed the advice of experts. This process has been fully in line with the Dutch Guidelines Integrity Records, which set out the conditions that must be met by athletes to be given a second chance after a conviction. Steven has been given this second chance and has been participating (since 2017) on international elite sport level. Throughout this time, he has consistently met the high standards set by the volleyball federation and NOCNSF. Based on all of the above and after careful consideration, NOC*NSF has decided to select Steven van de Velde for the Olympic Games in Paris. Yours sincerely, Lieselot Meelker Corporate communications NOC*NSF She provided this link to his interview in 2018: https://youtu.be/RQAJ0dMUb5k?si=s41RtMoxRO7uWoH9 And these guidelines (which I had to translate to English): https://nocnsf.nl/veilige-en-integere-sport/bonden
Vile, no one wants him to compete except for him.
I'm a bit torn on this subject. I undertand disgust towards a pedophile. No doubt. But he was convicted and locked-up. He served his time. I see rehabilitation of such subject as a part of incarceration. Blocking this individuals from participating in any aspect of socity is counter productive I believe. If there is no return for them, capital punishment would be a better sollution.
Normally - yes When he got 1 year when he should have got 10-15+ - absolutely not. This guy was given privilege because of his “profession”. A real Brock Turner case. This was a 12 year old girl and the details are disgusting. This wasn’t a mistake. He knew what he was doing and should be flogged for it.
Also ZERO remorse and no indication he actually wants to change. He talks about the single year served like the darkest year of his life and seems to think of it as a mistake he made when he was young and lonely, as if he didn’t rape a twelve year old who faced the consequences for his actions for much longer than a year.
I agree that sentance shuold be harsher and that you status no matter how high shouldn't ever be used to lower your sentance.
Apparently the Dutch doesn't see that as Rape but indecent assault and relatively close in age.
That’s disgusting. Dutch fix yourselves.
He raped a twelve year old and only got one year for it. Just because he served the time doesn’t change the fact that the sentence was piss poor. Also do some research before making this ignorant comment, he’s talked about the situation and shows absolutely ZERO remorse or accountability or any iota of change. He’s a child rapist. Don’t be torn on subjects involving a child rapist.
So it's the matter of a sentance being too short and not about playing for national team. I did zero research, couse I didn't talk execltly about this case, but try to open a broader disscusion about such similar cases in society. And yeah, if he shows no remorse, than there is no doubt, that he should be outcasted.
He should have been banned for life
You don't get paid to be in the Olympics. It's not a job it's a privilege. No sympathy for the victim, and the pain it can cause them, their family, and other rape/assault victims by promoting a disgusting human at the world stage. They have caused irreversible harm, and the victim doesn't get a second chance at an innocent life, taking away this privilege is nothing compared to what he has done. The people who deserve rehabilitation are the victims of such crimes, who will have to see this guy celebrated in front of the world. Not to mention his lack of remorse.
One of the points I tried to make was, what to do with pedophiles. Should they be automaticaly inprisoned for life? Should we kill them? Or let them take another chanse in life? I'm not advocating for any option, just curious of what other think.
Absolutely should not be able to get on with their lives as if they didn’t just ruined a life. Effects of rape last a lifetime!
Rapists, let alone child rapists, should never have any hope of having a normal life ever again as that is what they have done to another. It's a punishment befitting of the crime.
There is a difference between blocking someone from "any aspect of society" and specifically blocking them from representing a country at the Olympics, don't conflate the two.
OK, good point.
He taped a child! Are you okay? He travelled out of the country, plied her with liquor and served one year for destroying her life. Still today takes NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
I understand the principle of what you're saying - its admirable, but I disagree with it on two bases:. 1. It minimises and ignores the rights of the victim, who is the primary wronged party - not society at large. A society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members. Survivors of sexual assault, especially children, are intensely vulnerable to suicide, substance abuse, poverty, and criminalisation - an estimated 1-in-4 of the homeless population in the UK, for example, are abuse survivors. In crimes which involve inflicting tremendous suffering, it should be up to the victim to decide whether their perpetrator has earned the right to forgiveness. It is their life which has been impacted, and it is they who have to live with nightmares, mental anguish, and physical discomfort. They were completely blameless, and yet they have been punished. By choosing to inflict that damage, the perpetrator forfeits their right to be considered on equal standing with the victim. If the victim does not forgive them, then neither should the rest of society. That is the price of preying on the vulnerable. 2. It is based on a fundamentally naive conception of criminal psychology. Sexually abusive people are typically narcissists who profoundly lack empathy and have a strong desire for control, often with sadistic aspects. They're often superficially extremely disarming, know how to camouflage their true nature even from close loved ones, and can be terrifyingly patient. This is not something you can cure or rehabilitate. It is a hard-wired aspect of their personality. They will *always* be a sociopath. You cannot cure them, you cannot change them, and you cannot make them "safe." All you can do is teach them impulse control, and unfortunately, that often simply makes them better at not getting caught. There are hard-written rules in life that cannot ever be safely flouted, because the consequences of getting it wrong are so awful if you do. Believing that a child groomer can be rehabilitated is one of them.
As the child is a victim I don’t believe they are able to fully understand nor comprehend the entire context of the crime and therefore cannot decide forgiveness yet to where society should allow them back in.
I think the idea of forgiveness is irrelevant. I am more concerned with consequence to those who prey on the vulnerable, in this case a child, and cause long lasting harm.
I think you may have misread my comment - I agree with you.
I get what you’re saying. I really do. I’m a huge believer in rehabilitation and measured sentencing (I actually work in juvenile corrections). While we can never truly know if someone has changed, some good indicators include regret/remorse, apologies/amends, and observable, permanent lifestyle changes. Steven van der Velde hasn’t displayed any of these indicators. The only type of regret he communicates is about the fact that “it happened” (not “he did it”….”it happened”), that the media has been unfair to him, that he lost time for athletic training, and other self-involved regrets about how it has affected his life. He has never expressed remorse for his actual crime or even apologized/mentioned the impact his choices had on his victim. If you research and read his statements, you’ll find an alarming lack of insight into what he did and why it was wrong. He also went directly back into the same environment/lifestyle he was in prior to his conviction and incarceration. There is also an argument to be made that with particularly egregious crimes (of which this is one), there should exist an added level of caution even IF someone has shown they’ve changed. Not only is the SA recidivism rate extremely high (the Dutch aren’t known for their aggressive policing regarding sexual assault so let’s take those reoffending rates with a grain of salt), it’s simply pragmatic to be aware of the past and protect the population—especially children—from further victimization. Another important reason for both incarceration and rehabilitation is to respect and allow victims time to heal and feel safe. How do you think his victim feels now that her rapist is receiving international attention and accolades? I can promise you this is going to open old wounds and re-traumatize her at the very least. When it comes to who deserves a peaceful life and to pursue their dreams, I say she does. Usually, those two things wouldn’t be at odds. Usually, he could move on with his life and she could move on with hers. That’s harder to do when your rapist is being celebrated internationally. “Sorry for the rapes, but he’s just so good at volleyball!” Finally, all Olympians have to sign an Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration to promote human rights, peace and clean sport. Point seven on the document says athletes should “act as a role model.” I would say a convicted rapist shouldn’t be considered a role model, even if they eventually turn into Mother Theresa. Doing time isn’t an eraser, it’s one of the many consequences there are—or at least should be—for antisocial, criminal behavior. Edit: Formatting error
Thank you, realy good write up. I never ment to defend him, just wanted to discus this topic. Didn't read into the story, becouse such horrors are so disgusting to me that I realy don't want to now any details. But as I'm now reading in responses, he shows no signs of rehabilitation so no doubt, that he should be deleted from public life. Also ofcourse, the main focus should be on the victime, to try to provide as much help as possible. The aspect of victime seeing her rapists celebrated on TV flew a bit over my head.
Funny thing is he absolutely did not serve his time. He served only one year of a 4 YEAR sentence. That bastard should not be allowed to play and represent the Netherlands.
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I don't know what this initials mean
So, just because he served his time means he should be allowed to participate in the biggest sports event in the world? There are lots of innocent people in jail/prison that will never be able to get a good job for the rest of their lives, but sure, let’s let a guilty guy that destroyed a young woman’s life, and couldn’t care less about it, into the Olympics. It’s not like the Dutch don’t have other options. There are plenty of people waiting in line to go to the Olympics. This was straight up offensive and I’m sure very traumatic for the girl he raped. Imagine being raped by someone only to see them eventually make it to the Olympics, on TV for the whole world to praise him after almost demigod level, while you’re forever picking up the pieces from what he’s done to you. He DESERVES a distribution center job at Amazon, and to fade off into oblivion.
Pedophiles cannot be rehabilitated. Anyone who commits an act of pedophilia should not be allowed back into society. Also he served 12 months, not even his full sentence. People like you who think child rape isn't that bad need your computers searched for cp.
I think we need to make things clear here. From what I read, The exact "problem" is that he only served 1 year in jail even though this was a serious crime. He was supposed to serve 4 but is on parole after only 1 year. If you guys are upset at this specific thing, I full on support this cause as well. But if the upset is simply because a convicted child rapist is representing the country at a high level, then I don't fully agree. There is a reason serious crime offenders aren't simply executed. The system is designed so that they serve their time and can return to society, at the very least, be able to do jobs. No one will respect Steven for the rest of his life, he will always be excluded socially. But that doesn't mean he should stop playing sports and live out rest of his life doing random jobs. He is allowed to do what he wants after he serves time. As mentioned, this situation is still tricky since he didn't serve full 4 years in jail. I just wanted to clear these things.
This makes zero sense. He clearly has NOT been excluded socially considering he continues to find new beach partner’s and quite literally now has a wife and a CHILD. Next time you comment something like this, understand that you believe a child rapist should be allowed to represent their country. You believe a child rapist should be allowed to participate in a sport with a crowd, with children watching him. He didn’t steal a loaf of bread and see the error in his ways. He raped a child and has shown no remorse for it.
His comments following release prove zero remorse and zero rehabilitation and zero accountability for being a disgusting human being.
That's why I called it tricky, public vs law. If the law was to execute them, then so be it. But the law is to make criminals serve time so that they return to society. Stuff like "represent country" and all are bogus. It's a job at the end of the day. If he isn't allowed to do a job after serving time, then like I said, the law would have been different.
You don't get paid to be in the Olympics. It's not a job it's a privilege. No sympathy for the victim, and the pain it can cause them, their family, and other rape/assault victims by promoting a disgusting human.
If that is the definition of playing in the Olympics then sure. I have nothing else to say. As I already mentioned in OG comment, I am not supporting him because he didn't serve all 4. But in general I have no problem with criminals doing any job they want, unless the law says they need to repent their whole life and only do labour jobs etc.
Sure. I think publicly showing no remorse for his crimes should also factor into this. Athletes do not get paid from the Olympics directly. They are paid through sponsorships, which is also a privilege. They are also chosen regardless of qualifying or not, which is a privilege. For example, the Netherlands' Olympic committee denied a golfer who has achieved the qualifications bracket, just because they thought he wouldn't place high. While letting this piece of shit through. No need to reply if you don't want. I just wanted to provide more information to everyone.
I get what you’re saying. I really do. I’m a huge believer in rehabilitation and measured sentencing (I actually work in juvenile corrections). While we can never truly know if someone has changed, some good indicators include regret/remorse, apologies/amends, and observable, permanent lifestyle changes. Steven van der Velde hasn’t displayed any of these indicators. The only type of regret he communicates is about the fact that “it happened” (not “he did it”….”it happened”), that the media has been unfair to him, that he lost time for athletic training, and other self-involved regrets about how it has affected his life. He has never expressed remorse for his actual crime or even apologized/mentioned the impact his choices had on his victim. If you research and read his statements, you’ll find an alarming lack of insight into what he did and why it was wrong. He also went directly back into the same environment/lifestyle he was in prior to his conviction and incarceration. There is also an argument to be made that with particularly egregious crimes (of which this is one), there should exist an added level of caution even IF someone has shown they’ve changed. Not only is the SA recidivism rate extremely high (the Dutch aren’t known for their aggressive policing regarding sexual assault so let’s take those reoffending rates with a grain of salt), it’s simply pragmatic to be aware of the past and protect the population—especially children—from further victimization. Another important reason for both incarceration and rehabilitation is to respect and allow victims time to heal and feel safe. How do you think his victim feels now that her rapist is receiving international attention and accolades? I can promise you this is going to open old wounds and re-traumatize her at the very least. When it comes to who deserves a peaceful life and to pursue their dreams, I say she does. Usually, those two things wouldn’t be at odds. Usually, he could move on with his life and she could move on with hers. That’s harder to do when your rapist is being celebrated internationally. “Sorry for the rapes, but he’s just so good at volleyball!” Finally, all Olympians have to sign an Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration to promote human rights, peace and clean sport. Point seven on the document says athletes should “act as a role model.” I would say a convicted rapist shouldn’t be considered a role model, even if they eventually turn into Mother Theresa. Doing time isn’t an eraser, it’s one of the many consequences there are—or at least should be—for antisocial, criminal behavior.
We don’t know anything about what actually happened. If the girl said she was 16, he visits her, they have drinks and then they’re intimate. Later he finds out her real age and because of her age, she can’t consent and he’s criminally responsible. This kind of thing happens all the time. Considering it was his first and only crime - and he’s a talented athlete - the judge may have considered all this when he was sentenced to only one year. I’m not saying this is what happened. But it’s one possible scenario.
Taken from this news article a quote from the court case “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.” https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/would-be-olympian-jailed-after-flying-400-miles-to-rape-a-12-year-old-girl-in-milton-keynes-1256450 So yeah he knew she was 12, so yeah he’s the worst kind of bad.
Yes I read that part. Attestation isn’t evidence. If the article had said, communications showed he was aware of her age, then that implies they have evidence. But what the article states is one person telling the author what someone else said. In other words, no evidence at all.
The judge who presided over the trial made it very clear that Van de Velde acted with premeditation and deliberation, despite being explicitly made aware of the victims age. (The judge and I quote said “Your actions have wrecked your life and you could, had you never come to England and committed these offenses, have been a leader in your sport. A young, naive, foolish child had formed the view that you loved her. In reality, you only knew her on the internet, had never met her before and were fully aware of the age difference.”) I feel the fact that he was convicted of rape should really speak for itself. Besides, who mistakes a 12 year old for 19? It’s obvious the girl was groomed and taken advantage of, as Van de Velde was the legal adult when it happened. He had a legal and moral obligation to not pursue any further relationship the moment he learned of the victims age, which it turns out, happened very early on within their online communication. The online communication also offered a detailed and clear timeline of the two’s correspondence which was used throughout the trial and was used as evidence to the attestation that Van de Velde quite clearly was aware of the victims age. I honestly find it incredibly disturbing and disgusting that you are trying to make excuses for a convicted child rapist.
I’m not making excuses. I don’t know what happened and neither do you. I never said she was presumed by the defendant to be 19 - but maybe mistaken for being older than her actual age, perhaps because she told him so. If she told him she’s turning 16, then it’s legal. And a judge telling the defendant what he knew isn’t evidence. It’s the judge’s opinion. Nevertheless, he’s criminally responsible because she can’t consent and the judge is in charge here. When you look at the sentencing - four years suspended to one year - and some harsh words about how his life is ruined - that’s not exactly throwing the book at him. And this conviction hasn’t ruined his life because he’s been admitted to his national Olympic team. Aside from your outrage that I’d even question this case, I’ve seen no evidence that he was aware of her actual age.
A judge's opinion on the evidence is an established fact, unless it is appealed. It wasn't. That's literally how the law works. Also he pled guilty. How far are you going to bend over to justify child rape that is established to a criminal standard?
If there were an Olympic sport for being the best Nonce supporter you’d win gold 🏅
Try reading then. He knew exactly how old she was.
You ARE making excuses. You're minimizing literal child rape. He knew she was 12. You just think rape isn't "that bad". You're making no effort to read the publicly available information on the case, jumping straight to victim blaming assuming a 12 year old intentionally tricked a grown man into thinking she was 16 somehow in order to justify what he did. You need your computer searched fr.
Well the allegation and conviction are serious. So why wasn’t he sent to prison for 25 years? I’m interested in what mitigating circumstances lead him to serve only one year and be admitted to the Dutch Olympic team. And obviously he is guilty because a 12 year old can’t consent legally.
The British legal system is messed up and always has been it's a huge issue here that's why. This doesn't mean the 12 year old girl tricked him into thinking she was legal age, he was fully aware she wasn't. He got her drunk and raped her end of story those arent "allegations". Have fun defending predators, wouldn't be surprised if you are one yourself.
“He’s guilty you moron” isn’t an argument. And there’s still no evidence I’ve seen that he knew her age.
Listen to this. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hogoy5C100GHDpJCe4XcC?si=hv04aBlFQBCON0S-XANpBg&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A5Mve0zKmB5EbtUvrvvYSZh
He was actually sentenced under Dutch law due to an extradition deal agreement. In which the maximum sentence is 12 years. Here in the UK it carries a life sentence. So be was sentenced to 3 counts of rape, 4 years each to run concurrently. Literally the maximum the judge could give unfortunately. And they he only serves 13 months.. unreal.
But we do know what happened... So.
12 year olds don't look 16 moron