Child rapist Steven van de Velde denied Australian visa to compete at volleyball tournament

A convicted child rapist who competed in beach volleyball at last year’s Olympics has been denied an Australian visa to compete at the sport’s World Championships.

Border authorities have blocked Dutch athlete Steven van de Velde from competing in Adelaide next month, the Dutch volleyball association (Nevobo) said.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in Britain in 2016 after he was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. He was 19 at the time of the offence.

Nevobo said both Van de Velde and his doubles partner Alexander Brouwer would not participate in the World Championships, which start on November 14.

“Unfortunately, we have now been informed that the decision has been made not to grant the visa. We regret this, but we have no choice but to accept the decision,” Heleen Crielaard, technical director, said in a statement.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, which handles visa issuance, did not provide immediate comment when contacted by the Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

Van de Velde, twice a bronze medallist at the European Championships, said in the Nevobo statement the outcome was acceptable to him and his Netherlands team-mates.

“We took into account that the combination of the Australian authorities’ policy and my past might pose a problem for obtaining a visa,” the 31-year-old said.

Brouwer posted on social media that his season was now over. “Got the news this morning — no visa means no Australia,” he wrote. “Would’ve loved to compete with Steven in my 7th World Championships, but it is what it is.”