Crystal Dike
A Dutch Olympic volleyball player, Steven van de Velde, has been denied a visa to compete in Australia due to his past conviction for child rape.
Van de Velde, 31, was scheduled to play at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, South Australia, next month. However, Australian authorities blocked his entry following public outcry and a formal objection from the state government.
In 2016, the then 21-year-old athlete pleaded guilty to three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes, England, after meeting her on Facebook and travelling from Amsterdam to the UK in 2014. He was sentenced to four years in prison but served 12 months before his release.
South Australia’s Attorney-General Kyam Maher had written to the federal government two weeks ago, urging officials to reject Van de Velde’s visa application, describing his crimes as “utterly abhorrent.”
“We do not believe that foreign child sex offenders should be granted entry to this country,” Maher stated in his letter.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke supported the decision, saying the government would “continue to use every tool we have available to ensure that Australians can be safe and feel safe in their communities.”
After his release, Van de Velde resumed his professional career in 2018 and later represented the Netherlands in several international competitions. He also competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he was booed by spectators amid controversy over his past conviction.
An online petition calling for his Olympic ban had attracted over 90,000 signatures prior to the event.
The BBC has contacted the Beach Volleyball World Championship organisers in South Australia and the Dutch Volleyball Association for comment.