Convicted child rapist Steven Van de Velde cried in his first interview since the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he was booed and jeered for his horrific crimes while representing the Netherlands in beach volleyball.
The paedophile, who served just one year of a five-year sentence for raping a 12-year-old girl, has spoken for the first time since his controversial participation in this summer’s Games, where Dutch officials shielded him from press conferences.
Now he tells a Dutch newspaper: ‘Take me, but please leave my family alone.’
Van de Velde, 30, was found guilty in 2014 of three counts of rape of a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes, but entered the competition this summer after being released early from prison and the national selection committee ruled he had paid his dues.
In his new interview he said: ‘I did something wrong ten years ago. I have to accept that.’
Convicted child rapist Steven Van de Velde has cried in his first interview since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he was booed and jeered by spectators
Van De Velde (pictured with teammate Matthew Immers at the Paris Olympics) was found guilty of three counts of rape of a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes in 2014, but took part in the competition this summer after being released early from prison
Van de Velde spoke to the media on Tuesday during a press conference at the European Beach Volleyball Championship in The Hague
The pedophile (pictured during the Netherlands’ Olympic preliminary round in pool B against Norway) served only one year of his five-year sentence for raping a 12-year-old girl
Referring to his family and his Paris 2024 team-mate Matthew Immers, Van de Velde added: ‘But to hurt people around me – whether it’s Matthew, my wife or my child – that just goes too far for me.
“That was really a moment where I thought, is this worth it?”
More to come…