Even if justice was served—which is very unusual in the UK—the perpetrators may continue to live as if nothing had transpired, according to those who thought it sent a terrible message to survivors.
Consequently, victims may be less likely to come forward and report assaults if they lose trust in the criminal justice system. Every time Van de Velde tried to serve during his 2024 Olympics debut, the crowd booed him.
While Van de Velde has been mum about the media attention, his colleague Matthew Immers addressed the “disappointing” response.
According to Immers, when reporters asked about Van de Velde, he expressed disappointment after the loss. It was something we boasted about to one another, however. In spite of everyone’s focus, we fought so hard. We remained united.
When we got off the field, we sobbed and said, ‘OK, let’s just savor this moment.’ And that is exactly what we accomplished. As a result, I’m glad we went that route.
It was a wild ride of emotions, the athlete said. Immers thought about it for a moment. “We struggled. It was a delightful experience. Thus, I am really pleased with that.
