A convicted child rapist is competing – it is one of most shameful episodes in Olympic history
Steven van de Velde should be nowhere near Paris Games – the principle of rehabilitation does not cover being feted as an Olympian
Tried, convicted, served his time, it’s done.
There is a world of difference, though, between rejoining society and being feted as an Olympian.
Nope. Served his time, it’s done.
Sure, sure, we can all, as individuals, think whatever we like of him. As with absolutely any other criminal convicted of whatever. But the system? Nope, the system punishes as the system does and then that’s that.
All very well, but what’s the colour of his skin? What is his religion? What are his politics? Does he believe in Gerbil Worming?
These answers are needed before we can pass proper judgement!
Is he out of prison because he is an Olympic athlete ?
He should be on some kind of register and so kept away from the gymnasts.
Grist,
He fails on two of those counts (not sure about his politics or views on global warming – isn’t that climate change nowadays anyway?) which has no bearing whatsoever on the media’s willingness to quickly and unanimously pass judgement on this one particular child rapist.
It’s staggeringly inept of all parties that this chap participated in the Olympic event. The argument that he was 19 at the time and now, at 29, has served a four year sentence (etc. etc.) and is a changed man is distasteful. The 12 year old girl is now 22 so how does her life look?
It’s not done though is it? Is he on the Dutch equivalent of the sex offenders register? Should he be consorting with young athletes in the Olympic village? Stories in the red tops suggest that the village is pretty much a bonkfest during the games – young fit people socialising. Plenty of scope for a predator there if that’s what he is.
Depends on the crime. Some crimes carry life-long restrictions. You can’t be a teacher if you were a kiddie-fiddler. You can’t work in finance if you were a fraudster. You might not be able to travel abroad if you were a terrorist. And so on.
If our Olympian were a petty burglar or car thief, then we’d laud him for overcoming adversity to win a medal. But with a kiddie-fiddler the default assumption is that he is a Bad Person who is liable to offend again (hence the restrictions). It feels wrong to celebrate a Bad Person, obviously.
A ban could be construed as a generic criticism of sex with children, which might lead to the Muslims taking umbrage on behalf of their founder. So a good decision.
As he’s Dutch, has he considered euthanasia?
“[T]he system punishes as the system does and then that’s that.”
Except it isn’t. Part of the punishment is the public disgrace: you did this crime and people will distrust you for it. E.g. would you buy a used car from somebody who’s been convicted of clocking cars?
My comment was a result of my anger as a Londoner that certain groups can indulge in their disgusting pleasures and the authorities decide to pick on an innocent person to punish for a made up crime because he, like me, is angry at this certain group being shielded.
So, yes as the father of three children, I have long despised paedophiles and agree that this particular crime stays with the offender for life. Which is why I become incandescent when I hear of men gang raping little girls only for the authorities to ignore it by choice. The same group is able to march in their thousands through the city of London screaming for genocide and nice, kind people discuss freedom of speech. Years ago the same nice, kind people thought that sex with children might just be a nice, kind natural thing-yes, Harriet, I’m looking at YOU!
Sorry for the rant…
I don’t know if you lot didn’t get the memo or what, but he’s now a Minor Attracted Person, and as such it’s quite a surprise that he didn’t get asked to carry the burning torch into the fat chanting tranny orgy, or whatever else constituted the opening ceremony (I didn’t watch, I don’t give a fuck about the Olympics).
global warming – isn’t that climate change nowadays anyway?
Do keep up, it’s a toss-up now between climate crisis and climate emergency.
These terms change faster than convicted criminal Roger Hallam’s protest movements.
Interested: «I don’t give a fuck about the Olympics»
In that category I’m afraid the best you can hope for is silver.
It’s a shame that Eurosport seems to be copying the bbc by showing fewer live events in favour of talking heads sitting in a studio.
@Andrew M
“Depends on the crime. Some crimes carry life-long restrictions. You can’t be a teacher if you were a kiddie-fiddler. You can’t work in finance if you were a fraudster. You might not be able to travel abroad if you were a terrorist. And so on.”
Providing an athlete has no opportunities to be in close contact with the opposite sex I can’t see why an convicted rapist can’t compete in the olympics.
We presumably want convicted rapist to be able to work when it is safe for them to do so.
– Sure, sure, we can all, as individuals, think whatever we like of him. As with absolutely any other criminal convicted of whatever. But the system? Nope, the system punishes as the system does and then that’s that.
Well, yes, the criminal justice system does its work and that’s that. But the International Olympic Committee isn’t a criminal justice system; indeed it is a non-governmental body. They deciding to exclude convicted kiddie fiddlers from events is akin to us, as private individuals (and associations) deciding to exclude da nonces.
TMB wins the Internet today.
– We presumably want convicted rapist to be able to work when it is safe for them to do so.
Nobody owes time-served Gary Glitter a recording contract. Nor a taxi ride. Nor the time of fucking day.
Tried, convicted, served his time, it’s done.
He served 13 months. 12 months in the UK and one month in Clogland. I do not consider that he has ‘served his time’.
I certainly agree with Grist that there are far worse cases of nonce rapists getting away with it, but this does not change the fact that this guy is a nonce rapist who received minimal punishment.
This is what you get when try to pass of crass, for-profit commercialism as some sort of noble endeavor.
@PJF
Can I say that I think rape is evil – but surely convicted criminals should be allowed to work if is safe?
If not how will they live when they are released?
I think that this man is repulsive and should have spent longer in prison however we should look at this from logical principles.
. . . surely convicted criminals should be allowed to work if is safe?
Allowed by the state, sure. But private individuals and associations should be under no obligation to employ them or otherwise interact with them. If the Dutch Olympic team is happy to have this person as a member, that’s fine with me. If the Olympic organisers are happy for him to compete, likewise. But no one should be forced.
@David
Can I say that I think rape is evil – but surely convicted criminals should be allowed to work if is safe?
If not how will they live when they are released?
I think that this man is repulsive and should have spent longer in prison however we should look at this from logical principles.
As Marius said,
He served 13 months. 12 months in the UK and one month in Clogland. I do not consider that he has ‘served his time’.
I understand your point, but we as citizens (or subjects) devolve the power of punishment onto the shoulders of the State. If the State doesn’t do its job in that respect, for whatever reason, we are surely not honour-bound to shrug our own shoulders and accept it.
@PJF
I agree with that.
@Interested
“I understand your point, but we as citizens (or subjects) devolve the power of punishment onto the shoulders of the State. If the State doesn’t do its job in that respect, for whatever reason, we are surely not honour-bound to shrug our own shoulders and accept it.”
I understand why you think that – but I am not sure that will end well.
Of course in his case the state where he lives is not the one which failed to punish him.
He said he believed the girl was 16 at the time they began talking after she sent him a friend request, but he continued to communicate with her once she told him she was 12. He travelled to her home town, gave her alcohol, and then raped her near the local Furzton Lake. There were a further two instances of rape the next day.[10] During one of the three rapes, the victim told van de Velde that he was hurting her.[11] The victim expressed feelings of guilt and had been self-harming and once overdosed, facts that caused the judge to “give van de Velde a scathing rebuke” during the case.[11][12] Van de Velde returned to the Netherlands after the rapes;[13] he told his victim to go to a sexual health clinic afterwards for contraception, at which point her age alerted concern.[11]
This guy should be handcuffed, bagged, and then kicked until he stops making noises.
@Steve
“The victim expressed feelings of guilt and had been self-harming and once overdosed, facts that caused the judge to “give van de Velde a scathing rebuke” during the case”
Why not just send him to prison for longer rather than use harsh words?
David – British judges have an affinity for nonces.
https://mxmnews.com/article/f01bd9b4-dcc1-4f39-a0d1-dc6329a3997d
Not the only inappropriate athlete at these games.
Two transgender boxers cleared to compete in 2024 Olympics despite being disqualified in 2023
I guess those big padded gloves will mean the actual women won’t suffer too much damage, hopefully.
@TG
“Should he be consorting with young athletes in the Olympic village?”
The Dutch Olympic bods are housing him privately, away from the Village, as part of their safeguarding operation, so they aren’t treating him like any other athlete despite all their guff about him having served his time. Don’t know if he’d anyway be barred from the Village per some IOC/host regulations or even by the terms of the Dutch sex offenders register (assuming he’s on one).
If he served his time, and is still in peak physical condition to compete in international sport, then that time was not nearly long enough.
I’d be more concerned about the two blokes competing in the women’s boxing…