Right, but I'd imagine your knowledge of volleyball players is probably lower than the guy who picks players for the Olympic team. I'd assume very few people know as much about Dutch volleyball players as the person whose job it is to know about Dutch volleyball players.
And unless he is some form of godly prodigy at the sport I’m sure there would have been other choices of similar levels of skill. My only guess is he has big money or political power in the family, would also explain the short sentence for the crime.
Sadly him and his partner have been climbing international ranks for the past few tournaments. I’d estimate them somewhere between the 4th-6th favorites for the Olympics based on their performances lately.
Although almost no one has defeated the #1 seed Sweden all year, so still a bit of a longshot.
Some form of godly prodigy would excuse him being on the team?!
No. F him, f the judge who sentenced him to 1 year, f everybody who accepts this unapologetic mf. I dont care if he is gods gift to the sport and we will never see nyone like him, f him!
No I completely agree, that is one of the most horrific crimes possible and he deserves more punishment. I was trying to imply that if he wasn’t godly at the sport then the team probably could have found someone just as good who isn’t a scumbag, meaning the coach seems to not even take his crime seriously.
Unfortunately a lot of pedophiles get short sentences here, but normally you have to go into TBS which is not a prison, but a place where you are involuntary and where they coach you back into society..
So normally it would be 1 year in prison and then right after that 5 or 6 years TBS.
TBS (forced institutionalisation) can be indefinite though, and often is. It’s more akin to a prison with psychologists than a regular psychiatric institution. There’s people who have been in TBS for several times longer than their initial prison sentence was.
It really depends on the case I think. Also, succes rates of TBS go down quite steep after a longer prison sentence so that’s also a factor. But yeah it’s a very difficult topic.
Having money really does not expedite the sentencing in NL, wtf. What is normal however is that people go into TBS, so this guy must’ve been very convincing for the psychs to conclude he’s not mentally ill. Insanely low punishment for what he did, overall.
Nobody picks the Olympic team. He technically just needed to convince the one other player on his team to play with him. From there they qualify based of the results of play.
I only know Bas van de Goor, the gentle giant ginger.
Some googling, seems like this caused quite a shitstorm, both when he was arrested, when the court judged his ruling, and when he returned to the top level in 2018, but it's pretty much non-news at this point. More of a "yes, this shit happened and it's bad". It will probably always follow him around whenever any match of his is broadcast. But what is a justice system worth if people can't rehabilitate after serving their court-ordered punishment?
Rehabilitation means he can live a life free from prison. It doesn’t mean he should represent his country at the most prestigious sporting event in the globe. It’s pretty simple.
That's why it so important that when people now google Steven van de Velde the pedo rapist, the fact that he's a pedo rapist need to be on top. Not his sport merits.
So use his name and crime, name and shame so that others who don't know who he is get to learn.
Well i just did a quick search on his name in dutch media and there is not a whole lot written about it. There are some stories about it. But i dont think it ever got much attention. Probably because no one really cares about beach volleyball.
I mean there are stories about it. But when nobody knows this guy it doesnt get much attention and gets forgotten quick i guess? Right now there is a sexual assault / rape case going on with a famous rapper and that gets a ton of traction. Tons of talkshow talks, tons of media coverage.
There’s plenty of Dutch volleyball players that are well known. Reijnder and Nummedoor are a famous beachvolleyball duo for their performances in the past. I could name them and I am only conscious of the fact volleyball exists every 4 years.
Write a letter to the Dutch Olympic selection committee, your local and federal MP, with a cc to the several news outlets. Let the pos resign due to public pressure.
Lol are elections are national. There's no such thing as local MP's, or federal ones for that matter. Besides I don't think parliament mingles much in the Olympics, would be better to contact the Olympic committee.
How does ya country allow this to happen ya all should be embarrassed to have that pos represent the Dutch. This reflects what the Dutch thinks is ok . I don't like the Dutch people anymore they let pedo rapest represent them . Fucking disgusting.
If the majority made a complaint about it then it would be stopped. This is a person representing them and it's a pedo . The Dutch have a pedo representing them . Now Dutch kids will think even if ya rape ya can represent their country and they wouldn't be wrong.
This isn't the actions of one this is the action of the Dutch people to allow such a disgusting person to represent them . And I bet they cheer him on . If you think it's acceptable to have a pedo representing you then you also are a disgrace.
Apparently a new change. I was going off of the Wiki page info:
In March 2016, Van de Velde admitted to four counts of rape against a 12-year-old child, and was placed on the Violent and Sex Offender Register indefinitely. He was sentenced to serve four years in a UK prison.[5] After serving 1 year of the sentence he was given the chance to resume his career as a beach volleyball player, and continued playing with his partner Dirk Boehlé.[6]
Any coach that refuses him on the team and is dumb enough to say it's for this reason will be in court himself. If the judge wanted a harsher punishment he should have given it. Dutch law has provisions at vigilantism, which what you suggest would fall under.
Lol, downvoted for stating facts. You're barking up the wrong tree. If you don't like it take it up with Dutch politicians. They're the only ones that can change this ... Going forward only of course.
In the Netherlands it is. I do not think that, I know that. It's the basis of our legal system. You do the time and you are to be treated as anyone that never committed a crime.
Exceptions are written in the laws. In his case the exception is he cannot work with children. Working with children requires a government declaration (VOG) that there's no objection. A child abuse conviction of any kind means you won't get the VOG. After some time you can appeal that too, but then his obvious lack of remorse will come back to bite him. They won't lift that exception for him.
Is it written in your labour laws? I would think that sports would be exempted, especially considering how often athletes are required to live up to arbitrary moral codes
So people are not allowed to stop associating with someone based on a crime they committed if they served their sentence?
"Hah, you have to keep hanging out with me even though I'm a convicted pedophile! Otherwise you would be punishing me and I already served my sentence."
People are allowed to associate with who they want and avoid those they want to avoid. But after they served their sentence calling out to others to avoid him because he's a child rapist is unlawful, as he fulfilled his sentence. He will have to initiate proceedings himself and unless it's causing him real hardship he'd be a fool to. Because a court case is something that papers and people can write about and bring him into public opinion all anew.
The other part is employers sports clubs etc. Organisations are absolutely not allowed to ban him for a crime once he did his time. That includes the national Olympic committee. Beach volleyball is a two man sport, so he only needs one individual willing to team with him and qualify. If you want to complain why he's free, complain with the UK judge that sentenced him to 4 years and the one that approved early release.
Edit: In other words, if you don't want to be on a team with him you can quit the team. You cannot force him off the team.
But after they served their sentence calling out to others to avoid him because he's a child rapist is unlawful, as he fulfilled his sentence.
So telling someone that hangs out with the pedophile that "you shouldn't hang out with that guy, you have young children and they are a convicted child rapist" would be illegal?
Privately informing parents of small children will not get you into trouble.
Privately informing larger numbers regardless of them having children, you might be in trouble. Depends on the setting. If it becomes a subject at a party you'll probably be fine. If you go door to door you're in trouble.
Hang posters in the street to warn all parents a convicted child rapist lives in their neighbourhood will get you into a lot of trouble.
The deciding factor will be if the judge decides your actions result in extra judicial punishment. Alienating him from all his neighbours will most certainly lead to that conclusion. Informing just parents will not. Even if the grapevine results in essentially the same result.
Also companies and sports clubs are not considered people to the extent they are for example in the US and are more limited in what they can do.
Most all of the respect Olympic committees of various countries have a code of ethics/standards/morals/etc...to uphold, and can be denied for violations.
As for this pedo? These are his comments, he's not a bit sorry, and he'd do it again. 🤬🤬🤬
"During the trial, it was reported Van de Velde wept as he heard that his victim had since self-harmed and taken an overdose. Upon his release, Van de Velde defended his actions, saying he was “not a sex monster” for raping the girl.
“I do want to correct all the nonsense which has been written about me when I was locked up,” Van de Velde said.
“I did not read anything of it, on purpose, but I understand that it was quite bad, that I have been branded as a sex monster, as a pedophile.
“That I am not, really not. Everyone can have an opinion about me, but it is only fair if they also know my side of the story.”
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u/BildoBaggens 5d ago
Any coach that would allow this scumbag on their team is also a sack of shit.