Ryan Nicol
Sen. Lauren Book launched her public push to ban convicted pedophiles from the Olympic Games just last week. Now, more than 12,000 people have signed onto her petition drive, asking the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take action.
“Our rapid collection of over 12,000 signatures shows just how critical this issue is to people around the world,” said Book, founder and CEO of Lauren’s Kids. “The IOC has a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of safety and integrity. By banning convicted pedophiles from competition, we send a powerful message that the protection of our children always comes first and cannot be compromised.”
The issue stirred controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics when Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands, a beach volleyball player, was allowed to compete despite serving prison time for having sex with a 12-year-old when he was 19. The Dutch athlete is now 29. He served just 13 months in prison after being convicted in England.
The Netherlands beach volleyball team has since been eliminated from the games without medaling.
Book’s father, Ron Book, serves as Lauren’s Kids Board Chair and said support for the IOC change included calls from van de Velde’s home nation.
“We have received petition signatures from as far away as the Netherlands, from Dutch citizens who disagree completely with their country’s decision to send a convicted child predator to represent them on the world’s stage,” Ron Book said.
“We are delivering each and every signature to the International Olympic Committee to lobby for a swift change in rules to ensure something like this is never allowed to happen again. It’s about sending a strong message that we will not stand for the sexual abuse and exploitation of children — period, the end.”
Lauren Book, who herself is a survivor of child sexual abuse, founded Lauren’s Kids in 2007. The nonprofit aims to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She also delivered the keynote address in 2014 at the Dutch National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking’s “Symposium on Sexual Violence Children,” which came as the nation ran its first-ever national study on child sexual abuse.
“Allowing convicted child abusers to compete in the Olympics is not just a betrayal of trust; it endangers the safety of all children,” she added in her prepared remarks Thursday. “We must ensure that the Olympic Games remain a place of honor and respect, not a platform for predators.”
Lauren’s Kids has won multiple awards for its advocacy, and has worked throughout the state to further its mission.
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Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
