In 2016, Steven van de Velde was convicted of raping a British girl he had allegedly met online and sentenced to four years in prison.
He was returned to the Netherlands, where his sentence was modified in accordance with Dutch rules after serving a portion of his prison sentence in England.
Van de Velde, 29, is proving to be a model professional and human being, according to the Dutch volleyball association (Nevobo), and there hasn’t been any reason to question him since his comeback.
They also said he had their “complete support” and had sought out professional counseling upon his release.
Meanwhile, the country’s Olympic committee deemed Van de Velde qualified.
In the Nevobo statement, Velde himself stated: “I recognize that this may draw the interest of worldwide media in the lead-up to the world’s largest athletic event.” I will have to live with the repercussions because I cannot undo it. It was the biggest error I have ever made in my life.
The Survivors Trust released the following statement to News: “Being able to move on with his career after acknowledging ‘the biggest mistake of his life’ is further evidence of the shocking toleration we have for child sexual abuse.”
