Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who served time in prison for child rape 10 years ago, was booed loudly by the crowd during the Netherlands' first match at the Paris Olympics.
Footage posted on social media showed jeers and boos ringing out as van de Velde and his partner Matthew Immers walked into the arena at the foot of the Eiffel Tower before being defeated by Italy's Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula.
Van de Velde's participation in the Olympics has sparked huge controversy after he was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2014, according to British media. He was released in 2017 and is now 29 years old.
Despite a flood of criticism over the Dutch Olympic Committee's selection of van de Velde, the IOC defended its decision as the “right one”, saying van de Velde had undergone “significant rehabilitation”.
Immers defended his teammate from the criticism, telling reporters, “What's bygones is bygones. He was punished and he's really gentle now. To me, this is an example of him growing and learning a lot from it.”
In a statement to CNN in June, Juliece Colon, CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, said the organization was “deeply concerned that someone convicted of sexual assault against a minor will be able to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.”
“With teams from all over the world gathering in Paris, many of whom are underage athletes, this sends a dangerous message that medals and prize money are more important than their safety. Participation in sport is a privilege, not a right,” she added.
