Convicted rapist Dutch volleyball player denied Australia visa

Steven van de Velde has been denied an Australian visa due to his 2016 rape conviction. Photo / Getty Images

A Dutch volleyball player convicted in 2016 of raping an underage girl has been denied a visa to Australia to compete in next month’s Beach Volleyball World Championships, authorities said.

Steven van de Velde, now 31, was 19 when he was found guilty of sex with an underage girl.

Van de Velde served part of his sentence in Britain and was then transferred to the Netherlands, where he was eventually released and took up volleyball again in 2017.

The Dutch Volleyball Association said in a statement that is was “aware this could happen”, given Australia’s strict policy on issuing visas to people with convictions.

The association said it submitted all the documents to the Australian authorities and explained why it believed van de Velde should be allowed to play.

“Unfortunately, we have now been informed that the decision has been made not to grant the visa. We regret this, but we have no choice but to accept the decision,” technical director Heleen Crielaard said.

Van de Velde’s inclusion in the Dutch team for the Paris 2024 Olympics focused attention on whether sportspeople with historical sex abuse convictions should be allowed at the Olympic Games.

Some fans booed him when he made his first appearance and he was separated from other Dutch athletes, meaning he did not stay at the athletes’ village.

The 31-year-old has previously admitted to making “the biggest mistake of [his] young life”, adding: “I cannot go back, so I will have to bear the consequences.”

Van de Velde said in a statement that he had accepted the Australian authorities’ decision.

“This outcome is not only acceptable to me, but also to the rest of the team with whom we have been working closely all year,” he said.

The Beach Volleyball World Championships will be held in Adelaide from November 14 to 23.

– Agence France-Presse