Dutch Olympic bosses defend picking volleyball player convicted of raping 12-year-old for Paris Olympics

Warning: This article contains discussion of rape, which some readers may find distressing.

Dutch Olympic bosses 'fully support' convicted child rapist in taking part in this summer's Paris games.

Beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde will represent the Netherlands at the Paris Olympics despite his previous conviction.

The 29-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison back in 2016 after he admitted to three counts of rape against a child.

However, after serving part of his sentence in the UK, he was transferred to a prison in the Netherlands, where they reviewed his sentencing and adjusted it to the standards of Dutch law.

Van de Velde, now 29, was sentenced to four years in a Dutch prison back in 2016 after he admitted to three counts of rape against a child. (Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

This meant he only served 12 months of the sentence before he was released.

Speaking about it to the Dutch volleyball federation (Nevobo), Van de Velde was reportedly 'not happy' that this 'black period' in his life resurfaced.

He said: "That’s obvious, but I also understand that this is just part of it. In 2016 and afterwards, several Dutch media also paid attention to the story.

"I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media."

The incident took place in 2014, and the athlete, then 19, met the 12-year-old victim on Facebook. He travelled to the UK and raped the child at an address in Milton Keynes.

While Michel Everaert, general director at Nevobo, issued a statement which claimed the rapist was an 'exemplary' human being.

It read: "We know Steven's history. Before he expressed his desire to return to beach volleyball at the time, we spoke extensively with him but also with NOC*NSF [National Olympic Committee], among others.

"He was convicted at the time according to English law and he has served his sentence. From then on, we have been in constant contact with Steven, who has now been fully reintegrated into the Dutch volleyball community.

Initially the judge had told Van de Velde that his actions had destroyed his olympic dreams of representing his country.(Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

"He is proving to be an exemplary professional and human being and there has been no reason to doubt him since his return. We fully support him and his participation in Paris, which he and Matthew have earned."

While the Dutch National Olympic Committee issued the following statement: "Already since 2017, Steven van de Velde - after an intensive professionally supervised process with, among others, the probation service - is once again participating in international beach volleyball tournaments.

"At the time, the considerations and conditions for return to top-level sports were determined by both Nevobo and NOC*NSF [National Olympic Committee] partly on the basis of the Guideline Integrity History of NOC*NSF [National Olympic Committee], which sets out, among other things, the conditions under which athletes in top-level sports can return after a conviction.

"Van de Velde now meets all the qualification requirements for the Olympic Games and is therefore part of the team.”

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.