Man convicted of raping 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes qualifies for Paris Olympics after year in jail

Steven Van de Velde, a Dutch volleyball player with a rape conviction, will be representing his country at this summer’s games, according to national reports.

The now 29-year-old athlete was 19 when he travelled to Milton Keynes, from his home country, to rape the 12-year-old.

He admitted to three counts of rape and was sentenced to four years in prison by a judge at Aylesbury Crown Court. However Van de Velde was released after being held in a jail in the Netherlands for just one year.

Van de Velde will be competing in the beach volleyball competition alongside his partner, Matthew Immers. The pair are ranked 10th best men’s team in the world by Fédération Internationale de Volleyball.

News outlet The Australian first reported the rapist would be going to the celebrated international tournament. But the Netherlands Volleyball Association has yet to formally submit its final selections for the games.

Since Van de Velde’s anticipated inclusion was first reported, both the International Olympic Committee and The Dutch Olympic committee have not commented publicly, despite requests from national outlets.

Immers and Van de Velde are the second highest ranked duo in the Netherlands, trailing Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot, who are ranked fourth in the world.

In 2014, a court in Aylesbury heard how the Dutchman’s fledgling sporting career was now ‘shattered’. A judge said: “Prior to coming to this country you were training as a potential Olympian. Your hopes of representing your country now lie as a shattered dream. Your actions in those two days in England have wrecked your life.”

Yet after his prison release the athlete returned to the sport and is set to become an Olympian, according to national reports.

During his sentencing, where he appeared at the Bucks court via video link, Aylesbury Crown Court heard how he met the girl, who has lifelong anonymity as a victim of a sexual offence, via Facebook.

He knew how young she was at the time and took her virginity after plying her with alcohol. The court heard she also gave him oral sex.

An investigation was launched into Van de Velde after his victim tried to obtain a morning after pill. Police were contacted when the victim visited a family planning clinic, on his request, as the underage girl had had unprotected sex with her abuser.

Van de Velde was told his victim had self-harmed and overdosed since the incident.

In 2017, he was criticised by a national child protection charity for a statement he released after leaving prison.

Van de Velde said: “I do want to correct all the nonsense that has been written about me when I was locked up. I have been branded as a sex monster, as a paedophile. That I am not, really not.”

In response the NSPCC said Van de Velde's lack of remorse and self-pity was breathtaking. “We can only begin to imagine how distressed his victim must feel if she sees his comments.

"Grooming can leave a child feeling ashamed or even guilty because they believe they have somehow willingly participated when, in fact, an adult has preyed upon them in order to sexually exploit them."