A convicted rapist would not be chosen for the Australian Olympics team, says chief Anna Meares, following the inclusion of Steven van de Velde in the Netherlands beach volleyball squad for Paris 2024.
Van de Velde, now 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to raping a 12-year-old British girl when he was 19. He met his victim on Facebook, traveled from Amsterdam to the UK, and raped the girl at an address in Milton Keynes.
After serving just 12 months of his sentence, Van de Velde resumed his volleyball career and was selected in June for the Dutch Olympic team for Paris.
While Meares refrained from commenting specifically on another team’s selection, she stated that a convicted rapist would not be selected for Australia.
“If an athlete or staff member had that conviction they would not be allowed to be a member of our team,” Meares said.
“We have stringent policies on safeguarding within our team.”
Following his initial selection for Paris, the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) told BBC Sport: “After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counseling. He demonstrated self-insight and reflection to those around him, both privately and professionally.”
The NOC stated that Van de Velde’s return to the sport adhered to guidelines set by the Dutch Volleyball Federation (NeVoBo) in their “Guidelines Integrity Record,” which outlines conditions for athletes to resume competing after a conviction.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) emphasized that the selection of athletes for the Games is the responsibility of individual national committees.
According to the Dutch outlet NL Times, Van de Velde will not stay in the athletes’ village but has been provided with alternative accommodation in Paris.
Van de Velde’s inclusion in the Games has faced criticism from women’s safety groups.
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