'Not allowed': Australia would not pick convicted child rapist Steve Van de Velde, says Anna Meares
The Australian Olympic team's stringent selection rules would not have allowed a convicted child rapist on the team, Australia's chef de mission, Anna Meares, confirmed, as questions were raised about the Netherlands beach volleyball player, Steven van de Velde in Paris.
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Van de Velde was given the greenlight by the Dutch Olympic Committee to compete in beach volleyball despite being sentenced to four years jail for raping a 12-year-old girl when he was 19.
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He was convicted of three counts of rape of a minor in 2016 by a British court and was sentenced to four years jail but only spent 13 months locked up.
After serving part of his sentence in the UK, he was transferred to the Netherlands and was then dealt with under Dutch law.
Chef de Mission for the Paris 2024 Australian Olympic Team Anna Meares speaks to the media. Getty
The selection of athletes is up to individual countries and the International Olympic Committee.
Speaking to reporters in Paris on Monday, Meares was asked about van de Velde's selection, and declared such a move would not be made by the Australian team.
"If an athlete or staff member had that conviction, they would not be allowed to be a member of our team," Meares said, while speaking alongside two Australian beach volleyball players, Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar.
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"We have very stringent policies around safeguarding within our team and we have full confidence in those policies and the training we put our staff and athletes through.
"We do have a number of athletes under 18 and 16, so those policies are well in action to safeguard our team."
Van de Velde, 29, has expressed remorse according to the Dutch Olympic Committee and has been competing in beach volleyball since 2017.
Former swimming star and head of the Dutch delegation, Pieter van den Hoogenband, said he was "surprised at the agitation" surrounding van de Velde.
Steven van de Velde. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Ima
"He has been active in international sport and the world of beach volleyball for a long time," he told told broadcaster NOS.
"He has participated in World Cups, European Championships and World Cups, but you see that around the Games it is different. Things are amplified around the Games. We have taken good steps together. All the athletes are dear to me and I try to support them."
According to the Dutch Volleyball Federation, van de Velde said the incident was "the biggest mistake of (his) young life".
"I cannot go back, so I will have to bear the consequences," he said.
Both the Dutch Olympic Committee and the volleyball federation said they had consulted experts, who claim there is "zero chance" of van de Velde reoffending.
Van de Velde won't be staying in the Olympic Village and has been given an exemption to not speak to the media during the Paris Games.
