A Dutch volleyball player previously convicted of child rape has been denied entry to Australia ahead of next month’s Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide.
The Australian government rejected the visa application of Steven van de Velde, citing the “abhorrent nature” of his crimes as justification for the decision.
Van de Velde, now 31, was convicted in the United Kingdom in 2016 after pleading guilty to three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes.
The offences occurred in 2014 when he was 21 years old.
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According to court documents, van de Velde met the victim on Facebook, travelled from Amsterdam to the UK, and assaulted the child at her home before returning to the Netherlands.
After a two-year investigation and extradition process, he was brought back to the UK to face trial.
During sentencing, the court was told that he had been fully aware of the victim’s age at the time of the offences. He was sentenced to four years in prison but served only 12 months before being released.
Steven van de Velde previously pleaded guilty to three counts of raping a 12-year-old British girl
|GETTY
South Australia’s Attorney-General, Kyam Maher, urged the federal government to intervene, writing a formal letter that condemned any suggestion of admitting the athlete.
“We do not believe that foreign child sex offenders should be granted entry to this country,” the letter stated.
Maher described the crimes as “utterly abhorrent” and said the decision reflected the state’s zero-tolerance stance on offences involving minors.
Steven van de Velde was booed as he played at the Paris Olympics last year
Following his release, van de Velde resumed his professional volleyball career in 2018, representing the Netherlands in numerous international tournaments.
His presence on the global circuit, however, has sparked widespread controversy.
At last year’s Paris Olympics, sections of the crowd booed during his matches, while an online petition demanding his exclusion from the Games gathered more than 90,000 signatures.
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In interviews with Dutch media, van de Velde claimed to be the target of what he described as bullying and said coverage of his criminal history was unfair.
Speaking to broadcaster NOS, he said: “I’m not going to give others the power to decide that they can bully me away or get rid of me.”
He also stated that he had considered withdrawing from future competitions, including the Paris 2024 Games.
Steven van de Velde insists he's turned his life around
|GETTY
In a separate interview, van de Velde appeared emotional while acknowledging his past offences.
“I did something wrong ten years ago. I have to accept that,” he said.
“But hurting people around me—whether it’s my family or my child—that just goes too far for me. That’s when I thought, is this worth it?”
Some figures within the Netherlands’ sporting community defended his right to compete, suggesting he had paid his legal debt and was being unfairly “cancelled.” Critics, however, argued that his continued participation in international sport undermined public trust and the integrity of athletics.
In a statement released through the Netherlands Volleyball Federation before the Paris Olympics, van de Velde wrote: “I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life.”
Van de Velde, who is now married with a young son, maintains that he has changed since his conviction. Nonetheless, Australian authorities have made clear that his past conduct disqualifies him from entering the country, ensuring he will play no part in next month’s championship event.