Steven van der Werff, the Dutch beach volleyball player who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016, stated on Tuesday that he is considering withdrawing from the Paris Olympics due to the controversy his participation has sparked.
Van der Werff and his partner, Matthew Immers, made it to the quarterfinals in Paris but ultimately lost to the Brazilian team, conceding three sets in a row. Throughout the tournament, the pair played four matches, with van der Werff repeatedly being subjected to boos and whistles.
In an interview with the Dutch national broadcaster NOS, when asked if he had thought about withdrawing, van der Werff said he had considered the idea both before and during the Olympics but ultimately decided to compete.
In 2016, he was sentenced to 13 months in prison in the UK for the rape. Despite calls from victim advocates, lawmakers, and fans for him to be banned from the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee stated that they were powerless to prevent the Netherlands from fielding an athlete who had qualified in the normal manner.
In a statement released by the Dutch Volleyball Federation before the Olympics, van der Werff spoke about his past: “I cannot change this, so I have to deal with the consequences. It is the biggest mistake in my life.”
However, van der Werff, who is now married and has a young child, added: “I am not the person I was ten years ago.”
He expressed gratitude to his family and friends, as well as the Dutch volleyball and Olympic authorities, for their support. Although he was ridiculed in Paris, Dutch fans in orange jerseys gave him their backing.
“I cannot change how people view me,” he said. “Some may hold me accountable for what happened forever, and that’s okay, because that’s the reality. It is their right. So I accept that.”