Convicted child rapist Steven Van de Velde sobbed in his first interview since the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he was booed and mocked for his sickening crimes while competing for 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 out for the first time since his controversial appearance at this summer’s Games, where Dutch officials shielded him from news conferences.
He has now told a Dutch newspaper: “Attack me, but please leave my family alone.”
Van de Velde, 30, was found guilty of three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes in 2014 but competed this summer because he was granted early release from prison and national selectors judged he had paid his dues.
In his new interview, he said: “I did something wrong ten years ago. I have to accept it.”
Convicted child rapist Steven Van de Velde sobbed in his first interview since the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he was booed and jeered by spectators.
Van De Velde (pictured with teammate Matthew Immers during the Paris Olympics) was found guilty of three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes in 2014 but competed this summer because he was granted early release from prison.
Van de Velde spoke to the media during a press conference at the European Beach Volleyball Championships in The Hague on Tuesday.
Referring to his family and Paris 2024 teammate Matthew Immers, Van de Velde added: “But hurting people around me, whether it’s Matthew, my wife, my son, that’s just going too far for me.
“That was definitely a moment where I thought, ‘Is this worth it? ‘”
More news to come later…