Steven van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016.
Steven van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 Netherlands team boss Pieter van den Hoogenband has defended the decision to take convicted rapist Steven van de Velde to the Paris Olympics. Van de Velde, who was selected in the Dutch volleyball team, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to raping a 12-year-old girl when he was 19.
’ What has Steven van de Velde’s team-mate said? Van de Velde’s team-mate Matthew Immers has also defended his fellow volleyball player, describing him as ‘like a second father’. ‘It’s a shame that people talk about him like that,’ the 23-year-old said. ‘I know the Steven of today, and I’m happy about that. ‘He’s a very good partner for me. We have fun and good company on and off the field, that’s the most important thing for me.
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