Dutch football federation defends Dutch footballer Stephen van der Velder sentenced to 4 years in prison
Dutch beach volleyball player Stevan van der Velder
Controversy is growing as a Dutch beach volleyball player who served a prison sentence for sexual assault of a minor is expected to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Inside the Games, which reports Olympic news, reported on the 3rd (Korean time), “There is international controversy over the Netherlands’ decision to select male beach volleyball player Stephen van der Velder (29) as a member of the Paris Olympic team.“
Van der Felder was convicted in a British court in 2014 of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old British girl he met on social media and sentenced to four years in prison in 2016.
He was extradited to the Netherlands under an extradition treaty between the two countries and was released after serving only one year in prison.
As soon as he was released, Van der Felder returned to playing, and since 2018, he has appeared in international competitions, causing controversy.
Pander Felder continued his career as a player without caring about the eyes of those around him. 스포츠 토토사이트
Most recently, he teamed up with Matthew Emmeras and qualified for the 24-team Paris Olympics last month as the world’s 11th-ranked player.
The Dutch Volleyball Federation and the Olympic Committee issued a joint statement last month, seemingly conscious of the criticism, which stirred up controversy.
At the time, the federation defended him, saying, “Pander Felder received professional treatment after his release and has been participating in international competitions consistently since then,” and “there is no major problem with his participation in the Olympics.”
Van der Felder also said, “I understand that there is an international controversy,” and added, “(Sexually assaulting a minor) is the biggest mistake I have made in my life. It is something that cannot be undone, so I will accept the criticism.“
As news of van der Velder’s Olympic qualification became known, foreign media outlets, including those in the UK, began to criticize.
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) stated its position, “It is a sensitive issue, but the right to select national team players lies with each country’s Olympic committee.” 스포츠토토사이트