The petition to remove volleyball player Van de Velde from the Olympic Games reached 20,000 signatures.

Dutch volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who raped a 12-year-old girl, has been called for expulsion from the Olympic Games, according to Russian electronic media, which refer to the portalChange.org, where a petition appeared calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove Steven van de Velde from participating in Paris. There he intends to take part in the beach volleyball tournament. As of July 4, the petition has been signed more than 20,000 times.

"I call on the International Olympic Committee to remove Steven van de Velde from the upcoming Olympic Games because he is a convicted child abuser.

He lured a 12-year-old girl to meet him to rape her. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but served only 12 months, while the innocent girl must live with severe trauma for the rest of her life.

Van de Velde's dirty past should not be whitewashed and should not be a symbol of success at such a prestigious event as the Olympics. It's not just about one person, but about the global image of the Olympic Games and the kind of society we want to live in," said petition author Lauren Muir, quoted by Inside the Games.

Van de Velde, now 29, was released in 2017 after serving a sentence for raping a 12-year-old girl.
At the same time, the Dutch federation and a local Olympic committee stand behind the athlete.