Crowd boos convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde at beach volleyballBy Phil Blanche, PA, ParisDutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, a convicted child rapist, was greeted by some boos on his Olympic debut in Paris. Van de Velde, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old British girl. Unlike his fellow competitors, there were no cheers when Van de Velde was introduced to the crowd with some boos again clearly audible. The Dutch Olympic Committee maintain Van de Velde has been successfully rehabilitated and deserves his place in the squad. Van de Velde left the arena on his own after Italy’s three-set 22-20 19-21 15-13 victory.
