Metro readers are appalled – why is a rapist competing at the Olympics?
In MetroTalk: what message does his inclusion send?
Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
What about the victim?
Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, 29, is competing in the Paris Olympics despite being found guilty in 2016 of raping a 12-year-old.
He was sentenced to four years for the 2014 attack, which took place at the girl’s home in Milton Keynes, but was released after a year.
A convicted paedophile should not be permitted to represent their country in sport because it undermines the integrity and values of the sport and the nation.
Allowing him to compete will cause distress to his victim, erode public trust and set a damaging example to society.
It compromises the moral standards expected of public figures and athletes who serve as role models for young people and the community at large. Charlotte, Northampton
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As a mother of a daughter and auntie to nieces, it’s beyond belief that a convicted rapist should have been allowed to participate in such an iconic sporting event. It is an insult – added to the injury already endured by the victim – to her family and to all young girls and women everywhere.
Having only received a dismal four-year sentence, he only served one year, making a mockery of the judicial system.
I would go as far to say that all those idiots defending him, including his teammate, Matthew Immers, should be booted out of the Olympics as well. Erikka, South London
Comparatively…
Shoko Miyata, the 19-year-old captain of the Japan women’s artistic gymnastics team, was kicked out of the games for smoking (the legal age is 20 in Japan). Meanwhile, this human vermin competes despite being found guilty of three counts of child rape. Shame on all involved. Chris, Edinburgh
Ban him! A 12-year-old was left living the rest of her life with the mental scars of his actions. He may have served his sentence but she will carry his actions with her always and they will impact her life choices. We need to send out the message that rape is not acceptable. P Loudwig, London
Where are eco-activists at the Olympics?
The Paris Olympics are up and running and 15million visitors from far and wide are expected to attend to watch the 10,500 athletes.
Not one eco-warrior is demonstrating about the tonnes of greenhouse gases these games are creating. I suppose this is to be expected since they did not protest at Taylor Swift concerts and other high-profile music and sporting events.
Yet these eco-cowards expect us to eat less meat, give up our cars, shut off our gas, not use air travel, holiday at home, buy expensive electric cars and mega-expensive heat pumps. Clark Cross, Linlithgow
I’m sure that they are all worthy contestants at the Paris Olympics but my hat goes off to those mountain bike riders. They must be so fit to go around that course, up and down ramps and steps, around sharp bends. Fast then slow then fast again. It looks hard enough to walk around, never mind ride a bike.
I’m sure if I were to try it, I would soon end up lying in the bushes somewhere. Dec, Essex
I’m an avid tennis fan but I’m not too sure if it should feature in the Olympics.
Anyway, my local pub held a fancy-dress competition and I went dressed as a tennis ball. I got served very quickly. Martin Lawrence, South Croydon
Change doesn’t look so different, plus Tories need to ditch failures
Prior to the election, the Institute for Fiscal Studies looked at the spending plans of the main parties and determined that they weren’t being honest with the public as tax rises or spending cuts, probably a combination of both, would be needed.
Labour steadfastly didn’t want to talk about it but, now that they have to, claim it’s because the Tories left a mess that they didn’t know about.
If Labour didn’t know, they should have. Instead of admitting they got it wrong and the IFS were right, they now blame the previous government.
Sir Keir Starmer promised a different type of politics but we’re back to the spin and lies of the Blair years – Sue Gray doubtless taking the place Alastair Campbell had in Blair’s government. Is that the change we were promised? John Daniels, Redhill
Do the conservatives need some ‘new blood’?
What a pity former home secretary Suella Braverman and former prime minister Liz Truss aren’t in the running to be the next Conservative leader.
Then we’d have a full house of the very people who were such a shambles last time. Trust them with the country? I wouldn’t trust them with my TV remote.
After Tony Blair’s landslide election win for New Labour in 1997, the Conservative Party went through three former ministers as leader – Michael Howard, Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague – before skipping a generation to find an election winner in David Cameron. The party need to skip this generation
of failures and look for new blood, someone untainted by the shambles of the previous administrations. Barry Tighe, Woodford Green
I agree with Debbie Hawker (MetroTalk, Wed) that people should be able to put in their asylum application at an overseas British embassy. It would hopefully stop or at the very least reduce the number of small boat Channel crossings.
The current system is not working for anyone. Applications should be processed quickly and fairly, and biometrics taken in case of subsequent attempts at an illegal entry.
Applications should be processed fast and people helped into work. C Valles, Child Of An Immigrant
Dreaming of a world without far right hate
Wouldn’t this country be a better place without the likes of far-right leader Tommy Robinson and Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary?
Perhaps they should share a prison cell together for a few years. I would personally pay to see that. Richard Farrar, London
Neil Francis (MetroTalk, Fri) erroneously says there is no gravity on the Moon. There is, it is about one sixth of that of the Earth. Mike, Loudwater
I would like to complain in the strongest possible terms about everything! Yours, until the cows come home. Rob, London