Petition seeks to disqualify Dutch athlete Steven Van De Velde convicted for raping British girl from Paris Olympics

Steven Van De Velde was 19 when he travelled to Milton Keynes from his home country to rape the 12-year-old he reportedly got to know online.

In 2016, 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 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.

The Change.org petition, which has so far garnered over 17,500 signatures at the time of writing, said the “tarnished record of Van De Velde should not be swept under the rug, nor should it stand as a symbol of achievement.”

The petition reads: “He was sentenced to four years in prison but only served 12 months, meanwhile an innocent child has to live the rest of her life with severe trauma. The tarnished record of Van De Velde should not be swept under the rug, nor should it stand as a symbol of achievement at an event as prestigious as the Olympics.

“This is about more than just one person; it’s about the worldwide image of the Olympics and the kind of society we want to live in. Let us all raise our voices against any approach that undermines justice and the safety of our children.”

Despite protest, Dutch Olympic bosses defended their decision to pick the 29-year-old, saying that he was "proving to be an exemplary professional and human being and there has been no reason to doubt him since his return". They added he had their "full support" and after his release had sought professional counselling.

Meanwhile, the country's Olympic committee said Van De Velde had met all the qualification requirements for the Olympic games "and is therefore part of the team".

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Velde himself, in the statement released by Nevobo, said: "I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media. I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life."

Many have since called out the decision, saying that it was “absolutely ridiculous” to let a convicted rapist compete in such a major tournament. One said: “What type of message it is sending to the victims by letting him do this?”. Another wrote: “It’s absolutely ridiculous people get disqualified for minor things but not raping children. In what world does this make sense?”