Child rapist Olympian Steven van de Velde's teammate whines over booing and claims offender is feeling 'pressure'

Beach volleyball star Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of rape in 2016, has been facing a backlash from the crowd at the Paris Olympics , despite representing the Netherlands. His teammate expressed "disappointment" at the negative reception.

Van de Velde, who served one year of a four-year sentence for raping a 12-year-old girl in Milton Keynes at age 19, was reintegrated into the sport where he had been considered a rising talent. After qualifying this summer, he is competing in the Olympics , even being housed privately outside of the Olympic Village for safety reasons .

His playing partner, Matthew Immers, has spoken out in support of Van de Velde amidst the controversy, although he's 'disappointed' with the booing from spectators.

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Immers commented: "I don't want to say much about it. What was in the past is in the past. I can't change his past. I'm here to play with him. We want to have good results here. There are a lot of people who support us. We do it for them. He has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. I'm OK with that. Mentally we are strong, I am strong, we will get through this together."

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He remarked: "It is what it is. I was disappointed with the fans. We talked on the field and asked ourselves: what do we need from each other? It was worse than in the first game. We need each other on the field, the hugs, the cheering."

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After Van de Velde's selection caused a stir back home, Chef de mission Pieter van den Hoogenband stepped up to defend their choice, asserting: "Steven has been active in international sports and the beach volleyball world for a long time.

He has played in World Cups, European Championships and World Championships, but then you see that things are different around the Games. That things are exaggerated around the Games."

"We don't have blinkers on and we don't close our eyes. I'm the boss, responsible for the whole team, for the athletes. He's just a member of the team, he qualified, and that's why he deserves our support."