Dutch Volleyball Player Denied Entry to Australia After Olympics Controversy Over Assault Allegations

A Dutch volleyball player, convicted of child rape, has been denied entry to Australia where he intended to compete. This decision comes ahead of next month’s Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide due to the nature of his crimes, which are deemed “abhorrent.”

Steven van de Velde representing the Netherlands in the Paris OlympicsCredit: Reuters Van de Velde has previously expressed frustration about being canceled due to his past crimesCredit: AFP

Van de Velde pleaded guilty to three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in 2014 and was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016. At the age of 21, he met the girl online and traveled to England to meet her. He committed the crime in her home before returning to the Netherlands.

After two years, he was extradited back to the UK, where the court learned he was aware of the girl’s age prior to his actions.

Two weeks ago, South Australia’s Attorney-General Kyam Maher urged the federal government to deny Van de Velde’s visa, stating that his crimes were “utterly abhorrent.” The letter emphasized, “We do not believe that foreign child sex offenders should be granted entry to this country.”

Van de Velde served only 12 months of his four-year sentence and resumed his professional sports career in 2018. He has represented the Netherlands in various international competitions.

Last year, he competed for the national team at the Olympics, where he faced boos from some spectators. An online petition advocating for his ban from the Olympics garnered 90,000 signatures. After the event, Van de Velde claimed he was being unfairly targeted.

He mentioned that he was contemplating skipping the Paris 2024 Olympics and blamed the media for publicizing his past crimes. He stated to Dutch TV channel NOS, “I’m not going to give others the power to bully me or get rid of me.”

During an interview with Dutch media, Van de Velde became emotional, admitting, “I did something wrong ten years ago. I have to accept that.”

Van de Velde has had his visa to Australia deniedCredit: PA The player will be unable to compete at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide next monthCredit: EPA

“But hurting people around me – whether it’s Matthew, my wife, my child… that just goes too far for me. That’s definitely a moment where I thought, is this worth it?”

Some individuals in the Netherlands have expressed support for the convicted rapist, arguing that he is being “canceled” despite “setting a good example at the Games.”

In a statement on the Netherlands Volleyball Federation website before the Olympics, Van de Velde said, “I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life.”

Van de Velde, who is now married and has a young son, added, “I’m not the person I was ten years ago.”