Jessica Halloran: Sickening inclusion of Dutch rapist Steven van de Velde dulls Paris Olympics’ greatest achievment

Australian athletes have been axed from Olympic teams – one for drunkenly punching his teammate – but for another country, child rape isn't enough to stop an Olympic dream, writes Jessica Halloran.

Dutch volleyball player Steven van de Velde was convicted of child rape in 2016. Picture: Pablo Morano/Getty Images

It’s a hard fact to fathom that a convicted child rapist is allowed to compete at these Paris Olympics.

While much is being made of this being the first ever 50/50 games - the first time the iconic sporting event will have gender parity - that achievement is dulled by the sickening inclusion of Steven van de Velde.

Three weeks ago News Corp broke the news of child rapist van de Velde’s inclusion in the Dutch Olympic team. The accomplished beach volleyball player is at his first Games and will have the privilege of playing at that stadium underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Van de Velde is here achieving his “Olympic dream” - one he thought was dashed when he was sent to prison for four years in 2016 for the rape of a 12 year old British girl.

The Dutch athlete’s inclusion at these Olympics signals that an individual’s sporting ability can trump the most heinous crimes. Van de Velde was found to have groomed the girl over the internet from the age of 10 before flying to England and raping her. He was sentenced to four years in jail.

The Australian’s Jessica Halloran is on the ground in Paris for the 2024 Olympics.

“Olympic gender parity” actually means very little when violence against women, let alone a little girl, is so casually accepted by too many here - the IOC officials have not intervened and one Olympic icon has publicly fought for the Dutchman’s acceptance.

Van de Velde has great support from Dutch Olympic swimming champion Pieter van Hoogenband. Van Hoogenband, once Ian Thorpe’s greatest rival and now his country’s chef de mission, has endorsed van de Velde’s inclusion in the team.

“To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the fuss,” Van den Hoogenband told NOS. “He has been active in international sport, the beach volleyball world, for some time. He has played World Cups, European Championships and World Cups, but then you see that things are different around the Games. That things are magnified.”

In the same interview with Dutch television Van den Hoogenband also said he hoped there would be a focus on the sport again.

“Hopefully it can soon be about the sport again,” Van den Hoogenband said.

Australian Olympic officials have repeatedly said an athlete who had committed a crime like this wouldn’t be allowed to represent the country.

On Monday in Paris Australia’s chef de mission Anna Meares stepped in to answer a question about the convicted rapist van de Velde, which was directed to Australia beach volleyball Olympic medallists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, reinforced the Australian Olympic team’s strict athlete code of conduct.

Australian Olympic chef de mission Anna Meares. Picture: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

“It’s not in our position to comment on other NOCs and their policies that they have in place,” Meares said.

“But what we can comment on is the policies that we have in place with the Australian Olympic team. And if an athlete or a staff member had that conviction, they wouldn’t be allowed to be a member of our team, where we have very stringent policies around the safeguarding within our team.”

Australian athletes have been axed from Olympic teams, one swimmer for drunkenly punching his team mate at a pub, but for other country’s, child rape, is not enough to stop an Olympic dream.