Second known sex offender at the Olympics revealed after being hired by China
Organisers say a second known sex offender at the Olympics, hired by China, has now left the Paris 2024 Games.
The Olympics has drawn criticism for allowing convicted rapist Steven van de Velde to compete for the Netherlands in the beach volleyball event.
Van de Velde, who was jailed for raping a 12-year-old British girl, has been subjected of boos and jeers in his first two matches in the French capital.
It has emerged that an Australian who coached the women’s triathlon silver medallist is the second known sex offender to be accredited for the Paris Olympics.
Brett Sutton, 65, attended the triathlon event on Wednesday to support his Swiss athlete Julie Derron, who claimed silver.
A spokesman for Sutton confirmed to the Daily Mail that he was an accredited coach for China at the Paris Olympics.
Sutton sported his accreditation lanyard and a Chinese tracksuit when he was interviewed on Swiss television during the race.
Brett Sutton attended the Olympics triathlon event (Picture: Instagram)
In 1999, Sutton pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse of a 13-year-old Australian girl he had been coaching.
Sutton is now banned from coaching by several federations – including USA Triathlon – but was seen at the Olympics to support Switzerland’s Derron.
A spokesman for the Swiss national Olympic committee said: ‘Brett Sutton does not work for Swiss Olympic, and he does not have any function for our organisation in Paris.
‘Swiss athletes decide for themselves who they work with as personal coaches.’
The International Olympic Committee believe Sutton has left the Games and say they will ‘looking into the issue’.
‘I understand that this person is no longer here at the Games, they have left the Games,’ IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said on Sunday.
‘It is an issue for the Chinese Olympic Committee and the national federation will need to get involved.
‘Looking forward I can tell you we will obviously look into this issue.’
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