Some argued that it set an appalling example to survivors by indicating that even if justice was done, which is rare enough in the UK, their attackers would still be able to live as though nothing had happened.
This could in turn reduce faith in the criminal justice system and dissuade survivors from reporting attacks.
During his appearance in the 2024 Olympics, Van de Velde was met with a chorus of boos from the audience every time he went to serve.
Van de Velde himself has remained tight-lipped around the media, but his teammate Matthew Immers spoke about the ‘disappointing’ reaction.
Asked about Van de Velde, Immers told reporters: “If I can speak for him, after the match we lost, we were disappointed. But we said to each other: ‘Look what we did together. Look how hard we fought with all the attention.’ We stayed together.
“We cried together off the field and said, ‘OK, let’s just enjoy this moment.’ And we did that. So I’m happy we did it that way.”
The athlete added: “It was an emotional roller coaster. I see it that way,” Immers reflected. “We fought. We enjoyed every moment. So I’m really proud of that.
“It was the coolest stadium I ever played in… I’m sad that we couldn’t show our level. But everything around it, I enjoyed it.”
Addressing the controversy around Van de Velde being allowed to compete, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said: “To characterize it as comfortable and happy would not be correct.
“We have made it clear we have been in long conversations with the Dutch National Olympic Committee. A crime occurred 10 years ago, a great deal of rehabilitation has taken place and strong safeguarding is in place.
“The athlete is not even staying in the village. We feel the NOC have explained their decision. Comfortable and happy, characterize it how you want, but the statement that they have given to us is correct and we will continue with the situation as it is.”
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
