Steven van de Velde convicted rapist & paedophile competes

[StoneRoad]

So, let me get this right.

A British equestrian competitor withdraws when a video of her excessively whipping a horse during training hits the news. As yet, no criminal charges ...

A Dutch child rapist serves only part of his sentence as the authorities effectively downgrade his crime and then competes ...

Something is not right, smells very fishy to me ...

 

[cesare]

So, let me get this right.

A British equestrian competitor withdraws when a video of her excessively whipping a horse during training hits the news. As yet, no criminal charges ...

A Dutch child rapist serves only part of his sentence as the authorities effectively downgrade his crime and then competes ...

Something is not right, smells very fishy to me ...

Neither should have competed.

 

[hash tag]

So, let me get this right.

A British equestrian competitor withdraws when a video of her excessively whipping a horse during training hits the news. As yet, no criminal charges ...

A Dutch child rapist serves only part of his sentence as the authorities effectively downgrade his crime and then competes ...

Something is not right, smells very fishy to me ...

Charlotte wotsit withdrew. Would the British equestrian people or British olympic committee allow her to compete. Would the IOC allow her to compete I wonder.

 

[cesare]

Charlotte wotsit withdrew. Would the British equestrian people or British olympic committee allow her to compete. Would the IOC allow her to compete I wonder.

It didn't become an issue because she (rightly imo) withdrew.

Child rapist didn't withdraw.

 

[Petcha]

The Dutch team get classier, putting the guy front and centre of their team picture

 

[StoneRoad]

Although I'm a pacifist by nature, and would never advocate violence, maybe it's a good thing beach volleyball isn't a "contact" sport ...

 

[hash tag]

It didn't become an issue because she (rightly imo) withdrew.

Child rapist didn't withdraw.

Exactly. That's virtually what StoneRoad said in the post I was replying to. Neither was thrown out; one withdrew, one didn't.

 

[trashpony]

And the only reason the child rapist isn’t staying in the Olympic village is because the British Olympic committee objected.

 

[Yossarian]

I can't even imagine how shit this must have been for his victim and the victims of similar crimes - I think the fact that he competed in the Olympics, knowing full well the kind of news stories that would have emerged, contradicts his claims to be deeply ashamed and remorseful, I hope we never hear anything about Steven Van de Velde ever again

 

[SpookyFrank]

All Netherlands athletes at these games are culpable for this shit. All had the option to say I'm not competing on the same team as this person, he goes or I do. Apparently none did.

 

[Spymaster]

All Netherlands athletes at these games are culpable for this shit. All had the option to say I'm not competing on the same team as this person, he goes or I do. Apparently none did.

Why the fuck should they? Each of those athletes in every event have put in more work than you’ll ever do in your life to reach the absolute pinnacle of their sports.

Absolutely no way they should throw all that away because of this creep.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Why the fuck should they? Each of those athletes in every event have put in more work than you’ll ever do in your life to reach the absolute pinnacle of their sports.

Absolutely no way they should throw all that away because of this creep.

OK let's say ten athletes threatened to withdraw if van der Nonce was allowed to compete. Most likely they'd have got rid of the nonce and nobody else would have had to drop out at all. But we'll never know because apparently none of their efforts to reach the absolute pinnacle of lawn darts or whatever involved growing a backbone.

 

[Yossarian]

All Netherlands athletes at these games are culpable for this shit. All had the option to say I'm not competing on the same team as this person, he goes or I do. Apparently none did.

I think there's a bit of a culture clash - this story was interesting reading on the Dutch prison system and its emphasis on treating the root causes of problems instead of locking people up.

I agree with that approach in a general kind of way, though definitely not for child rapists, and I can understand why other Dutch athletes might view Van der Velde as rehabilitated - I won't fault them for competing, but I think whoever decided Van der Velde should be allowed to compete fucked up big-time

 

[Spymaster]

OK let's say ten athletes threatened to withdraw if van der Nonce was allowed to compete. Most likely they'd have got rid of the nonce and nobody else would have had to drop out at all. But we'll never know because apparently none of their efforts to reach the absolute pinnacle of lawn darts or whatever involved growing a backbone.

Easy to say for someone who’s never achieved anything and has the luxury of chatting inconsequential shit on the internet.

Backbone, my arse.

 

[ouirdeaux]

I'm not sure whether your anatomy is disordered or just your knowledge of the subject.

Also, we're all chatting inconsequential shit on the internet.

 

[andysays]

I'm not sure whether your anatomy is disordered or just your knowledge of the subject.

Also, we're all chatting inconsequential shit on the internet.

But some of us are more inconsequentially shit than others.

 

[Derek S-H]

Easy to say for someone who’s never achieved anything and has the luxury of chatting inconsequential shit on the internet.

Backbone, my arse.

This is a really poor reply.

Online debate is, ideally, about criticising someone's argument, not making personal attacks.

You know nothing of what the OP has achieved in their life. In fact, we could say exactly the same thing about you: you've never achieved anything in your life and have the luxury of chatting inconsequential shit on the Internet.

Except the promotion of this man as some sort of role model (which you're suggesting after all his hard work) is not inconsequential to his victim, is it?

 

[Spymaster]

This is a really poor reply.

Online debate is, ideally, about criticising someone's argument, not making personal attacks.

You know nothing of what the OP has achieved in their life. In fact, we could say exactly the same thing about you: you've never achieved anything in your life and have the luxury of chatting inconsequential shit on the Internet.

Except the promotion of this man as some sort of role model (which you're suggesting after all his hard work) is not inconsequential to his victim, is it?

Piss off newb. I’ve know the that poster for over 15 years and he’s an absolute crap-talking ringpiece.

Get back in your box.

 

[andysays]

This is a really poor reply.

Online debate is, ideally, about criticising someone's argument, not making personal attacks.

You know nothing of what the OP has achieved in their life. In fact, we could say exactly the same thing about you: you've never achieved anything in your life and have the luxury of chatting inconsequential shit on the Internet.

Except the promotion of this man as some sort of role model (which you're suggesting after all his hard work) is not inconsequential to his victim, is it?

Many of us here do know at least some of what others have or haven't achieved in their lives, and also know the sort of ridiculous or outlandish claims that others are prone to make.

Spymaster isn't promoting this person as a role model, they're suggesting that SpookyFrank 's claim that all the other members of the NL team are culpable is bollocks, which it is, and it's the sort of hyperbolic nonsense that SF is unfortunately prone to posting.

 

[andysays]

Piss off newb. I’ve know the that poster for over 15 years and he’s an absolute crap-talking ringpiece.

Get back in your box.

That BiB is a bit unnecessary (though the rest is fair comment)

 

[Derek S-H]

Piss off newb. I’ve know the that poster for over 15 years and he’s an absolute crap-talking ringpiece.

Get back in your box.

Oh, dear.

I am really frightened now by your power, authority and knowledge of both other posters and your subject. Over 69,000 posts and you still appear not to have mastered the art of online discourse.

I think I'll hang around instead of being bullied off the site by a nobody.

 

[Spymaster]

Oh, dear.

I am really frightened now by your power, authority and knowledge of both other posters and your subject. Over 69,000 posts and you still appear not to have mastered the art of online discourse.

I think I'll hang around instead of being bullied off the site by a nobody.

I don’t want you off the site. You should stick around.

In fact, I order you to do so.

 

[Spymaster]

Oh, dear.

I am really frightened now by your power, authority and knowledge of both other posters and your subject. Over 69,000 posts and you still appear not to have mastered the art of online discourse.

I think I'll hang around instead of being bullied off the site by a nobody.

I don’t want you off the site. You should stick around.

In fact, I order you to do so.

 

[Derek S-H]

I don’t want you off the site. You should stick around.

In fact, I order you to do so.

I heard you the first time, thanks.

 

[two sheds]

Say hello to Spy, who has problems with mathematics and posting sometimes

 

[andysays]

On the substantive issue of the thread, I think it's unsurprising that this has happened.

The nature of the Olympics is that its a huge international spectacle, which is dominated by money and nationalism.

There have been decades of national sports authorities exploiting and mistreating their athletes to achieve success, with little thought to how it affects them as individuals.

In that context, the fact that a high level sportsperson has a criminal conviction and has served time for an offence, even one as serious as rape, which is not directly connected to their sport, isn't going to prevent them being chosen to represent their country.

I haven't read enough to know exactly how this was discovered, but I believe it was the British Olympic team that brought it up. Is it possible that if the offence hadn't been committed in the UK, this would never have come up?

It's also perhaps complicated by the fact that the offence is viewed differently in the Netherlands to how it's seen in the UK.

 

[Spymaster]

On the substantive issue of the thread, I think it's unsurprising that this has happened.

The nature of the Olympics is that its a huge international spectacle, which is dominated by money and nationalism.

There have been decades of national sports authorities exploiting and mistreating their athletes to achieve success, with little thought to how it affects them as individuals.

In that context, the fact that a high level sportsperson has a criminal conviction and has served time for an offence, even one as serious as rape, which is not directly connected to their sport, isn't going to prevent them being chosen to represent their country.

This is the issue. I think we can all agree that we’d rather this creep wasn’t there, but if there are no rules against it and his conviction is considered spent by his home nation, where do you draw the line? Should all athletes with criminal convictions be barred from representing their countries?

I wouldn’t necessarily be against that but I’d hazard a guess that it would thin the field quite substantially if applied across the board.

The notion that other athletes, completely clean, who have nothing to do with him, should throw away their Olympic prospects in protest or be culpable in rape, is beyond ridiculous though.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

On the substantive issue of the thread, I think it's unsurprising that this has happened.

The nature of the Olympics is that its a huge international spectacle, which is dominated by money and nationalism.

There have been decades of national sports authorities exploiting and mistreating their athletes to achieve success, with little thought to how it affects them as individuals.

In that context, the fact that a high level sportsperson has a criminal conviction and has served time for an offence, even one as serious as rape, which is not directly connected to their sport, isn't going to prevent them being chosen to represent their country.

I haven't read enough to know exactly how this was discovered, but I believe it was the British Olympic team that brought it up. Is it possible that if the offence hadn't been committed in the UK, this would never have come up?

It's also perhaps complicated by the fact that the offence is viewed differently in the Netherlands to how it's seen in the UK.

I'm not sure that the offence is viewed all that differently in the Netherlands but attitude to punishment and perpetrator apparently are. For example, it's not unusual for young (18 - 21ish) perpetrators to be assessed as to their developmental stage and tried as a child rather than an adult. The decision to include him in the team suggests to me a consensus - the court decides on a punishment and the matter is finished. Compare and contrast with the views expressed on this thread.

 

[StoneRoad]

I suspect that if this creep had served all his sentence, as short as it was, in the UK - as I think he should [the multiple offences were committed here] - then he would also be on the sex offenders registers etc and therefore not allowed to work etc with children & vulnerable adults.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

I suspect that if this creep had served all his sentence, as short as it was, in the UK - as I think he should [the multiple offences were committed here] - then he would also be on the sex offenders registers etc and therefore not allowed to work etc with children & vulnerable adults.

Would it comfort you to know that there is a sex offenders register in the Netherlands?