WEBVTT - Why the Govt refused a Dutch athlete’s visa

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<v Speaker 1>Just a heads up. Today's episode contains distressing themes, including

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<v Speaker 1>discussions of child sexual abuse. Listener, discretion is advised already

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<v Speaker 1>And this is the Daily This is the Daily os Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>now it makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning and welcome to the Daily Odds. It's Thursday,

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<v Speaker 2>the thirtieth of October.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lucy Tassel, I'm Emma Gillespie.

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<v Speaker 2>The Federal government has rejected the visa of a Dutch

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<v Speaker 2>beach volleyball player due to a conviction of child rape.

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<v Speaker 2>Stephen van Dervelt had sought to enter Australia for the

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<v Speaker 2>World Beach Volleyball Championships in Adelaide, being held in November.

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<v Speaker 2>In today's episode, we explain the context behind the government's decision,

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<v Speaker 2>including Van der Veldt's crime, his sentencing, and his continued

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<v Speaker 2>athletic career.

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<v Speaker 1>Lucy, this story has been bubbling away for a few

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<v Speaker 1>few weeks now. There was a change dot org petition

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<v Speaker 1>that emerged in the last few weeks essentially seeking to

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<v Speaker 1>block this beach volleyballer, Stephen Vandervelt from entering Australia. So

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<v Speaker 1>can you take me back to the start. Who is

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<v Speaker 1>this guy and what do we need to know about him.

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<v Speaker 2>So. Stephen van Derveld is a beach volleyball player from

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<v Speaker 2>the Netherlands. He's represented his country at the highest level.

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<v Speaker 2>He's currently thirty one years old, and most importantly, he

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<v Speaker 2>is a child sex offender. Back in twenty fourteen, he

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<v Speaker 2>was nineteen at the time, so an adult. He repeatedly

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<v Speaker 2>messaged a British twelve year old girl on Facebook. They

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<v Speaker 2>had kind of met on Facebook, and he then flew

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<v Speaker 2>to England where he raped her. His defense team later

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<v Speaker 2>argued that the girl had consented, but given she was

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<v Speaker 2>a twelve year old child at the time, she could

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<v Speaker 2>not actually give consent.

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<v Speaker 1>So, Lucy, I'm assuming this obviously went to based on

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<v Speaker 1>the fact. You know, you've mentioned defense team, a legal team.

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<v Speaker 1>How did authorities get involved in the first place?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So Vandervelt told the girl to take the morning

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<v Speaker 2>after pill and given her age. When she went to

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<v Speaker 2>a local clinic, staff alerted authorities. He was already on

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<v Speaker 2>his way back to the Netherlands at that time, so

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<v Speaker 2>he flew in one day the rape occurred. He went

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<v Speaker 2>back home straight away. In February twenty sixteen, he pleaded

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<v Speaker 2>guilty to three counts of child rape. He was sentenced

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<v Speaker 2>to four years in jail in March of that year,

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<v Speaker 2>twenty sixteen.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, that is extremely disturbing but fascinating that authorities really

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<v Speaker 1>only learned about this because that young young girl went

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<v Speaker 1>to a clinic seeking the morning after pill.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, so then at the time the judge said, quote,

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<v Speaker 2>she was a child age twelve. You were fully aware

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<v Speaker 2>of that fact. You were a potential olympian. You had

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<v Speaker 2>the possibility of a stellar future presenting the Netherlands, referring

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<v Speaker 2>that to the then upcoming twenty sixteen Summer Olympics.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll be right back with more of today's deep dive

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<v Speaker 1>right after a quick word from our sponsor, So Lucy,

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<v Speaker 1>there were the twenty sixteen Summer Olympics. I'm assuming Van

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<v Speaker 1>der Veld missed those because he was sentenced to imprisonment

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<v Speaker 1>following that child rape incident. But we're obviously talking about

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<v Speaker 1>him today nearly ten years later. So he has served

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<v Speaker 1>his time and made a return to professional sport. How

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<v Speaker 1>did that unfold?

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<v Speaker 2>A year into his four year sentence, Vandervelt was allowed

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<v Speaker 2>to return to the Netherlands to serve the rest of

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<v Speaker 2>his time.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so he went to a UK prison because that's

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<v Speaker 1>where the crime occurred.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so he had been extradited to the UK to

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<v Speaker 2>face charges. He pleads guilty, he serves a year of

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<v Speaker 2>jail time under a treaty between the two countries. He

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<v Speaker 2>was then returned to the Netherlands to finish out the sentence.

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<v Speaker 2>But something I didn't know about until researching this story

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<v Speaker 2>is how different the laws governing child sexual abuse were

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<v Speaker 2>in the Netherlands at the time. Specifically, they have since

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<v Speaker 2>been updated in some respects. So Vandervelt's actions were then

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<v Speaker 2>considered less serious under Dutch law as they would have

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<v Speaker 2>been under British law. They were classified as basically in

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<v Speaker 2>decent assault. Some of the other sources I was looking

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<v Speaker 2>at said fornication, which is kind of an archaic word.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that might have just been a translation thing.

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<v Speaker 2>But the general gist that I got is that this

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<v Speaker 2>was something that was considered rape under British law in

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<v Speaker 2>decent assault under Dutch law, okay, And that meant that

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<v Speaker 2>soon after he returned to the Netherlands to serve out

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<v Speaker 2>his time, his sentence was reconsidered essentially under Dutch law,

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<v Speaker 2>because if he was serving time there, then he was

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<v Speaker 2>under their law. That meant that. About a month after

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<v Speaker 2>returning to the Netherlands, he was freed from jail and

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<v Speaker 2>his professional sporting care continued. In fact, he was named

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<v Speaker 2>to the Dutch beach volleyball team for the twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 2>four Paris Olympics.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow. Yeah, what was the reaction like to that from

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<v Speaker 1>within the sporting world.

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<v Speaker 2>Within the sporting world, it was a mixed reaction. People

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<v Speaker 2>booed him at his events at the Games, and he

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<v Speaker 2>stayed outside of the athletes village and at the time,

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<v Speaker 2>the head of Australia's Olympic team, Ana Mears, said words

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<v Speaker 2>to the effect of if that had happened here, you

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't have been allowed to compete. But obviously the Netherlands

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<v Speaker 2>Volleyball Association had a different perspective ahead of the games

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<v Speaker 2>kicking off, they said. Quote. After his release, Vandervelt sought

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<v Speaker 2>and received professional counseling. He has demonstrated to those around

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<v Speaker 2>him privately and professionally self insight and reflection, they also said. Quote.

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<v Speaker 2>In twenty sixteen, Van Derveldt was convicted in England of

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<v Speaker 2>having sex with an underage girl, which who is rape

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<v Speaker 2>under English law and fornication under Dutch law, so you

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<v Speaker 2>can really see there are these two different standards that

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<v Speaker 2>are being applied to the same crime depending on the country.

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<v Speaker 2>In the Anti did compete and the men's beach volleyball

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<v Speaker 2>team came ninth.

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<v Speaker 1>So all of that was last year. We're talking about

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<v Speaker 1>the July Paris Olympics. It's now more than a year

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<v Speaker 1>later and his presence at a sporting event has caused

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<v Speaker 1>disruption and dispute. Again, this is a professional athlete who

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<v Speaker 1>is a convicted child sex offender. What has happened in

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<v Speaker 1>the last few weeks? Why is he back in the headlines.

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<v Speaker 2>Vandervelt was selected to represent the Netherlands at the World

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<v Speaker 2>Championships of Beach Volleyball that are taking place in Adelaide

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<v Speaker 2>next month, and he's got a partner in this because

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<v Speaker 2>it's the paired sport, Alexander Brewer. A petition was then

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<v Speaker 2>started by activist group What Were You Wearing Australia to

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<v Speaker 2>block him from entering the country on the grounds that

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<v Speaker 2>he has this child sexual abuse offense. As that petition

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<v Speaker 2>picked up steam, South Australian Attorney General Kaya Mar wrote

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<v Speaker 2>to the federal government asking it to cancel Vandervelt's visa

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<v Speaker 2>he said, quote, this individual's offending is utterly abhorrent and

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<v Speaker 2>we do not believe that foreign sex offenders should be

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<v Speaker 2>granted entry to this country. We've discussed on this podcast

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<v Speaker 2>before when we were talking about Candice Owens. Yes, the

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<v Speaker 2>federal government can refuse visa's Minister Tony Burke, the Home

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<v Speaker 2>Affairs Minister has a few different grounds to refuse someone

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<v Speaker 2>entry to the country.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely. That role is set up basically to give the

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<v Speaker 1>Home Affairs Minister a range of powers to decide when

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<v Speaker 1>or if someone should not be allowed into the country.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So one of those reasons is if they believe

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<v Speaker 2>allowing someone to enter Australia would not be in the

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<v Speaker 2>best interests of Australian children, and the minister can flag

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<v Speaker 2>a character concern which can include I'm quoting directly from

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<v Speaker 2>the Act here, a court in Australia or a foreign

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<v Speaker 2>country has convicted the person of one or more sexually

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<v Speaker 2>based defenses involving a child. So obviously Van Dervelt has

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<v Speaker 2>three charges of child rape in the UK. That would

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<v Speaker 2>be the grounds and that is why we believe his

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<v Speaker 2>visa has been rejected.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so his convictions immediately meet those qualifications. For a

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<v Speaker 1>visa cancelation. What has the reaction been like? Because obviously

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<v Speaker 1>he still competes as a professional athlete in some countries

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<v Speaker 1>and obviously in his home country, but there is this

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<v Speaker 1>international event in Adelaide that he is now excluded from.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the reaction been like.

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<v Speaker 2>The Dutch Volleyball Association confirmed the decision. It said it

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<v Speaker 2>quote regrets the outcome but accepts it. Van Dervelt also

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<v Speaker 2>said he understood why this had happened. He said his

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<v Speaker 2>criminal conviction made approval quote a problem. The Netherlands have

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<v Speaker 2>withdrawn from the event as his teammate can't compete without him.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a paired sport. And Volleyball Australia acknowledged the ruling,

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<v Speaker 2>saying it was awaiting a decision from the International Beach

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<v Speaker 2>Volleyball Association on the possibility of a quote replacement team.

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<v Speaker 2>I think to make up the numbers in the brackets.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, a very disturbing, fascinating story. Thank you so much

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<v Speaker 1>for taking us through that one today, Lucy. Thanks Emma,

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<v Speaker 1>and if today's episode has raised any concerns for you,

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<v Speaker 1>help is available through one eight hundred respect on one

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<v Speaker 1>eight hundred seven three seven seven three to two or

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<v Speaker 1>during business hours on weekdays. You can also contact the

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<v Speaker 1>Brave Hearts hotline for adult survivors of child sexual abuse.

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<v Speaker 1>They're available on one eight hundred two seven two eight

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<v Speaker 1>three one. We will of course put those numbers in

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<v Speaker 1>the episode description. That's it for today's Deep Dive, but

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<v Speaker 1>we will be back this afternoon with your evening headlines.

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<v Speaker 1>Until then, have a good day.

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<v Speaker 2>first peoples of these countries, both past and present.