| Steven van de Velde | |||||||||||||||
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 Van de Velde in 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 August 1994 The Hague, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.99 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Beach volleyball information | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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| Conviction(s) | Rape of a child under 13 (3 counts) | ||||||||||||||
| Criminal penalty | Four years in prison | ||||||||||||||
Capture status | Released on licence after serving 13 months | ||||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||||
| Victims | 12-year-old girl | ||||||||||||||
| Date | 2 August 2014 | ||||||||||||||
Steven van de Velde (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsteːvən vɑn də ˈvɛldə]; born 8 August 1994) is a Dutch beach volleyball player. He was convicted of child rape in 2016; in 2014, when Van de Velde was 19, he raped a 12 year-old British girl, whom he had made contact with via social media, after he traveled to Britain to meet her and gave her alcohol.[1][2] He participated in the 2024 Summer Olympics, with the Dutch Olympic Committee standing by their nomination despite a petition calling for him to be removed.[3]
- ^ Brown, Oliver (25 June 2024). "Dutch volleyball player who raped 12-year-old British girl qualifies for Paris Olympics". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ Kutz, Anna (20 July 2024). "Dutch athlete convicted of child rape won't stay in Olympic Village". NewsNation. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Volleyball player convicted of rape set for Olympics". BBC News. 26 June 2024. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.