Australian Government Bans Dutch Volleyball Player and Convicted Rapist
The Australian government has rejected a visa application from Dutch beach volleyballer Steven van de Velde, who was jailed for raping a 12-year-old girl.
Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in jail in 2016 after pleading guilty to three counts of rape, which occurred in 2014 when he was 19 years old.
- He served 12 months of his sentence and resumed his volleyball career in 2018.
- Van de Velde was set to compete in the world championships in Adelaide, starting on November 14, as part of the Dutch team.
The Australian government has rejected the visa application of van de Velde, effectively banning him from entering the country.
Author's summary: Australia denies visa to convicted rapist.