MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Dutch Olympian Steven van de Velde, who was convicted in 2016 of raping a 12-year-old woman in Britain, has been refused a visa to compete within the Seashore Volleyball World Championships in Australia, the federal government stated on Tuesday.
Residence Affairs Minister Tony Burke urged the 31-year-old’s prison report was the explanation he had been refused a visa to compete on the match, which begins in Adelaide on Nov. 14.
“The government will continue to use every tool we have available to ensure that Australians can be safe and feel safe in their communities,” Burke stated in an announcement.
Van de Velde stated in an announcement he had anticipated that Australian authorities coverage and his prison previous may pose an issue in acquiring a visa.
“This outcome is not only accepted by me, but also by the rest of the team,” van de Velde stated in Dutch.
Van de Velde’s ban means his teammate Alexander Brouwer additionally received’t compete. Van de Velde made his Olympic debut in Paris final yr regardless of intercourse crime victims’ advocates, lawmakers and followers calling for him to be banned. The Worldwide Olympic Committee stated it was powerless to cease the Netherlands from sending an athlete who certified within the normal approach.
He and his Olympic teammate Matthew Immers received solely one among their 4 matches through the video games. Two weeks after the Olympics, van de Velde and Immers received a bronze medal on the 2024 European Seashore Volleyball Championships within the Netherlands.
Volleyball Australia chief govt Andrew Dee stated he was solely informed on Tuesday of the federal government’s determination to ban van de Velde.
“As the local organizing committee, our focus remains on ensuring we deliver a spectacular world championships,” Dee stated.
“It will be the biggest beach volleyball event in the world this year and the first time we will have nine Aussie teams proudly wearing the green and gold. That is what we all should now focus on and celebrate,” he added.
Van de Velde was 19 years previous in 2014 when he contacted his sufferer on social media and traveled to Britain to rape her. He was convicted on three prices of rape and spent 13 months of a four-year sentence in jail earlier than resuming his sporting profession in 2018.
Australia has lengthy used broad discretion to refuse foreigners non permanent visas below what is called the “character test.”
Two weeks in the past, Australia’s excessive courtroom rejected U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens ’ bid to overturn her visa ban final yr when she planning a talking tour of the nation. Burke stated she was barred due to the danger she would “incite discord in the Australian community.”
Burke stripped the U.S. rapper Ye, previously generally known as Kanye West, of an Australian visa after he launched his single “Heil Hitler” in Might this yr. Ye had been touring for years to Australia, the place his spouse of three years, Bianca Censori, was born.
