International athlete who raped school girl from Milton Keynes released early from prison

Steven Van de Velde was jailed for four years last March after admitting three counts of rape against the local girl.

He was allowed to return to Holland to complete his sentence and has been released after a year.

The NSPCC has released a statement ‘condemning’ the early release and the athlete’s lack of remorse.

Van de Velde, 22, who met the girl on Facebook, travelled from Amsterdam to the UK in August 2014. He raped the girl near Furzton Lake.

The NSPCC said: “Van de Velde’s lack of remorse and self-pity is breathtaking and we can only begin to imagine how distressed his victim must feel if she sees his comments.

“Grooming can leave a child feeling ashamed or even guilty because they believe they have somehow willingly participated when, in fact, an adult has preyed upon them in order to sexually exploit them.

“This is a disgrace and we are calling on Liz Truss to make this a crime and let police do their job and protect more children.”