Beach Volleyball Player Who Was Imprisoned For Rape Qualifies For Paris Olympics
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Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands was convicted and imprisoned in 2016 for raping an underage girl in Britain.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch beach volleyball player convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in Britain has qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Steven van de Velde and partner Matthew Immers were one of two men’s teams from the Netherlands that qualified for the beach volleyball competition at the Paris Games, which open on July 26 in the French capital.
Most beach pairs qualify for the 24-team Olympic field by earning points on the international tour; Van de Velde and Immers were 11th on the points list.
“I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media,” Van de Velde said in a statement posted on the website of the Netherlands Volleyball Federation. “I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life.”
Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in Britain after being convicted in 2016 of having sex with an underage girl he reportedly got to know online. He was transferred to the Netherlands under a treaty between the countries, and resentenced according to Dutch law.
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