Convicted Dutch child rapist and athlete Steven van de Velds was booed by the crowd during his two matches at the Paris Olympic Games on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old athlete, who qualified to represent the Netherlands in this year's games, was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016. He briefly served time before his release in 2017.

The Dutch Olympic Committee has taken measures to address the situation, announcing that Van de Velde will not reside in the Olympic Village and will not engage with the media during the games. Pieter van den Hoogenband, chef de mission for the committee, stated these changes were necessary given the circumstances, the New York Post reported.

The Netherlands Volleyball Federation has supported Van de Velde throughout the controversy and has defended his selection for the Dutch Olympic team.

“After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counselling. He has demonstrated to those around him — privately and professionally — self-insight and reflection,” the federation said. “Van de Velde now meets all the qualification requirements for the Olympic Games and is therefore part of the team.”

The 29-year-old Olympic rookie was booed as he took the sand for warmups before his initial match against Italy. The jeering grew louder during the formal pre-match introduction, although there was some mixed applause from Dutch supporters.

The booing only got worse during the team’s next match against Chile. Van de Velds was booed each time he served the bar.

Van de Velde and his partner Matthew Immers won the match and were booed loudly by the crowd.

“I was disappointed with the crowd, for sure,” Immers said. “I cannot do anything about his past anymore. I’m here to play with him. … So, yeah, I’m disappointed with it. But I think mentally we’re really strong, and I’m really strong to get through this, together. And we’re going to do that.”