Steven Van de Velde, the Dutch Olympic Games beach volleyball star who was convicted and imprisoned for raping a 12-year-old girl, is “not a risk” because he is “not a pedophile” according to an Olympic Games official.

Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016 after grooming her on Facebook, was cleared to compete in the Paris Olympics after he was released from prison.

A man who has lived in the Netherlands for more than a decade wrote to the Dutch Olympic committee and called the inclusion of Van de Velde “a stain on the Dutch national side”.

The Dutch Olympic committee spokesperson replied: “Steven is NOT a pedophile; you really don’t think that de Dutch NOC would send someone to Paris who IS a real risk? No, he isn’t a risk.”

The NOC said: “Van de Velde has fully engaged with all requirements and has met all the stringent risk assessment thresholds, checks and due diligence. Experts have stated that there is no risk of recidivism. Van de Velde has consistently remained transparent about the case which he refers to as the most significant misstep of his life. He deeply regrets the consequences of his actions for those involved. He has been open about the personal transformation he has undergone as a result.”

Steven Van de Velde in action for the Netherlands

The British man said he was “shocked” by the response he received after he wrote to the Dutch Olympic committee press team asking what the communications strategy would be if Van de Velde won a medal.

Guardian reports: The man – who does not want to be named – referred to Van de Velde as “a pedophile, and convicted child rapist” and asked what his victim and her parents said about his participation.

As well as disputing that he was a pedophile, the official urged him to read more about the case and not to “believe all the headlines”.

The official added: “We are taking measures to make sure that everybody can focus on sports, on the Games. Not the story of the past of this beach volleyballer, who has played on all the international tournaments since 2018.”

The Dutch NOC continues to come under fire from groups representing survivors of sexual abuse, with one group accusing the committee of not thinking “at all about the potential impact on survivors of seeing a child rapist at the Olympics”.

The Brave Movement, a movement of survivors of child sexual violence which is part of Together for Girls, said it had not been consulted by Dutch Olympic committee.

In an open letter it said the child Van de Velde raped would face “lifelong consequences”, adding: “Perpetrators move on. Those they abuse are left searching for healing and justice. We need a world centered around survivors, not perpetrators.”