Murray Olds: Australian correspondent on Steven van de Velde being denied an Australian visa

A Dutch volleyball player convicted in 2016 of raping an underage girl has been denied a visa to Australia to compete in next month’s Beach Volleyball World Championships.

Steven van de Velde, now 31, was 19 when he was found guilty of sex with an underage girl.

The Dutch Volleyball Association said in a statement that it was 'aware this could happen', given Australia’s strict policy on issuing visas to people with convictions.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
International correspondence with Ends and Eye Insurance Peace of Mind
for New Zealand Business. Murrayol's Australia corresponds with US Hello, Buzz,
good afternoon, Heather. Okay, what's happened to this lady on
the cruise ship? Wow? It's a very mysterious story, very
sad indeed as well. An eighty year old woman was
cruising on her own far North Queensland on board a

(00:24):
very popular cruise line. It's not one of the you know,
those five thousand passenger ships. It's a much smaller ship. Nonetheless,
it's got a decent size passenger number and a big
crew as well on board. So they are off Lizard Island,
which is very remote about I don't know, one hundred

(00:45):
k's northeast of Cooktown, so it's way off the coast.
They've pulled them there on Saturday, and as happens on cruises,
people are taken ashore. I guess by tender. There wouldn't
be any big wharf up there, so they go ashore
on a tender food for day walk and this woman
was walking with another a larger group of passengers and

(01:06):
hiking the trail, a trail that apparently Captain James Cook.
He did the same walk, you know, a couple of
centuries back. Anyway, she said, listen, I'm going to stop
here for a moment, just catch my breath. And they
said fine, and they kept going and she wasn't seen again.
They've all gone back to the ship late that afternoon,
late Saturday afternoon, and as always happens on these ships,

(01:29):
you were checked on and you were checked off. It's
very very regimented, that's part of the deal. And she
was not on board. So apparently they mounted the search
on the Saturday late Saturday, had to abandon that on
Saturday night, called police and emergency said, and the woman's
body was found the following day. Now could she have survived?

(01:50):
That's one of the questions police are now asking, preparing
a report for the coroner. But just very very tragic
circumstances with this woman who was enjoying a cruise and
never got back to the ship. Very much, sir. Now
the Dutch volleyball team are being kept out of the country,
are they not? The whole team only one member. And
this guy, Stephen van der Veld is a convicted child rapist.

(02:12):
He went to jail in twenty sixteen, but he was
He was convicted of raping a twelve year old girl
when he was a teenager himself. He only served thirteen
months of a sentence. The sentencing judge said, back in
twenty sixteen, this crime of yours that he admitted his
career ending. You'll never play for the Netherlands again. But

(02:32):
he was back in the national team only you know
about or less than two years later. He since Mary,
he's been to the paras Olympic Games, despite the objections
of quite a few other national Olympic committees. They said,
you really want this guy on your team. Anyway, he's
been banned from entering Australia. They've got the World Championships
here in November, yes, in November, and he will not

(02:56):
be part of the team. He has not been given
a visa to ento Australia. Okay, listen, what's going on
with the miners. Well, it's a very very sad story this.
You know, it's a dangerous occupation. We all know that.
And every time you go below ground it's a risk,
right And this morning about a quarter to four a
m way out in Coba. It's so remote, way way

(03:19):
out west it's about I don't know seven eight hours
west or northwest of Sydney, and they had the the
night shift was down underground. There was an explosion. Initial
reports said two people had died. They police and other
emergency evers got there and they did confirm that one

(03:39):
man had died underground. Two women were brought to the surface.
One of them was fatally injured though, and she died
at the scene. The other one was treated and then
she was flown off to hospital and inquiries underway. But
you know, it's it is a risk. I mean, you
have gas build ups underground. This is a lead mine
and a zinc mine, so you get gas build ups
underground and an explosion is always a possibility and tragedy.

(04:02):
This morning it looks like it looks like that precise
thing is happening. That's true, right, Thank you males, really
appreciate it. Murray Old's Australia correspondent. For more from Hither
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