A Dutch beach volleyball player who served a prison sentence for sexually assaulting a minor has been named to the 2024 Olympic team in Paris, sparking controversy.
“Dutch beach volleyball player Stevan van der Felder, 30, has been named to the Paris Olympic team, sparking international controversy,” Inside the Games, a leading source of Olympic news, reported on Wednesday.
Vander Felder was charged by a British court in 2014 with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old British minor he met through social networking services 안전한 파워볼사이트.
Sentenced to four years in prison by a British court in 2016, he was extradited to the Netherlands under an extradition treaty between the two countries and released after serving only one year of his four-year sentence.
Upon his release, Vander Felder returned to the sport and has been competing internationally since 2018, sparking controversy.
Recently, she teamed up with Matthew Imerus to qualify for the 24-team Paris Olympics as the world’s No. 11 player.
The Dutch Volleyball Federation and the Olympic Committee issued a statement in defense of the player, which stirred up controversy.
In a joint statement, the two organizations emphasized that “Vander Felder has received professional treatment since her release from prison,” and that “she has consistently competed internationally, and the decision was based on an expert opinion that she is not likely to reoffend.”
Aware of the controversy surrounding him, Vander Felder also released a statement, saying that “(my selection) could attract international media attention,” and that “(sexually assaulting a minor) was the biggest mistake of my life. It’s irreversible, and I have to live with the consequences.”
Amid the international controversy, the FIVB said, “We recognize that this is a very sensitive issue. However, it is the responsibility of the National Olympic Committees to select the players for their national teams.”