Differences between English and Dutch law might be part of the reason why Steven van de Velde is seen differently at home than abroad, says Renate van der Zee, a Dutch writer and journalist
The Netherlands’ Steven van de Velde in a beach volleyball match against Italy at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, 28 July 2024.The Netherlands’ Steven van de Velde in a beach volleyball match against Italy at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, 28 July 2024.
Klomp, along with the Dutch sports authorities and many other Dutch people, believes that now that Van de Velde has served his sentence and publicly expressed remorse, he is “ But there is a difference between moving on with one’s life and representing your country at the most prestigious sporting event in the world, where you are also supposed to set an example. Which raises the question: what message does the Netherlands send to the world by allowing itself to be represented by a man convicted of a sexual offence? It is obvious that not much thought has been given to how this might affect victims of sexual abuse.
Taking into account the victim’s perspective was also what Sara Alaoui, director of the Safe Space Club, an organisation supporting victims of sexual violence, called for during. She felt that Van de Velde hadn’t demonstrated enough of that in his statements to the Dutch press. And besides, she argued, expressions of regret alone were not sufficient when aiming for such a prestigious second chance in life: hethat he truly deserved that second chance.
Alaoui cited the example of a unique therapy group in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, where men who have been involved in domestic violence help other men who are guilty of the same. “It would be very much to his credit if he would commit himself to something like that,” she said.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations.
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