Dutch Olympic volleyball player Steven van de Velde has been denied a visa to compete in Australia's Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide next month. The decision follows his 2016 conviction for the rape of a 12-year-old girl.
Visa Decision
Two weeks prior to the decision, South Australia's Attorney-General Kyam Maher wrote to the federal government, advocating for the rejection of van de Velde's visa. The letter stated a belief that foreign child sex offenders should not be granted entry to Australia. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke commented that the government would continue efforts to ensure community safety.
Legal Background
In 2016, Steven van de Velde, then 21, pleaded guilty to three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes, England. He received a four-year jail sentence, serving 12 months. The crime occurred in 2014 after he met the girl on Facebook and traveled from Amsterdam to England. After the incident, van de Velde returned to the Netherlands, but was extradited to the UK and arrested in 2016. During the sentencing proceedings, the court was informed that he was aware of the victim's age.
Sporting Career Continuation
Van de Velde restarted his professional sporting career in 2018, subsequently playing for the Dutch national team in various international tournaments. Last year, he represented the Netherlands at the Paris Olympics, where he was met with boos from some spectators. An online petition advocating for his ban from the Olympics had previously gathered 90,000 signatures. Van de Velde, now 31, was scheduled to participate in the upcoming Beach Volleyball World Championships.