WASHINGTON (August 1, 2024) – Netherlands beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde was met with a mixed crowd during his Olympic debut this week due to the fact that he is a convicted rapist. Van de Velde has competed on the Netherlands beach volleyball team since 2017, but was convicted in 2016 for raping a 12 year-old-girl when he was 19 in 2014. Van de Velde spent 14 months in prison, 12 of which were in Britain and one month was spent in the Netherlands, before being freed after his actions were re-classified under Dutch laws as “committing indecent acts” and a reduced sentence.
For more context on the matter, please consider Ellen M. Zavian, Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School. Zavian is an expert in Sports Compliance, Sports Law, Sponsorship Contracts, IOC, USOPC Rules and Regulations. Zavian became the first female attorney/agent in the NFL. She has represented the US Women’s Soccer and Softball gold medalists and extreme athletes, collectively, and held the title of Commissioner for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
Zavian can speak on the subjective process of IOC, how the process works, and legal aspects of risk assessments.
If you’d like to speak with Professor Ellen Zavian, please contact Media Relations Specialist Shannon Mitchell at [email protected].
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