THE HAGUE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Dutch politician Camiel Eurlings resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after a fuss over domestic violence, the 44-year-old declared in a press statement.
"I deeply regret the whole course of events, and the discussion about whether or not to stay distracts on what it is all about right now: the sport and the athletes," Eurlings stated. "Therefore I resign as IOC member, the most beautiful volunteer job in the world, with pain in my heart."
Eurlings beat up his former girlfriend in the summer of 2015, after which she filed a complaint at the police and Eurlings agreed with the public prosecutor to carry out social work as a community service punishment.
Last Saturday, the former Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (2007-2010) and Dutch airline KLM director (2013-2014) made public apologies for the first time in an interview with newspaper NRC Handelsblad, but according to critics these apologies were half-hearted and came too late.
The interview led to a rise of pressure on him to resign. Board members of the Dutch Olympic Committee NOC-NSF had already asked Eurlings to step down as IOC member for the domestic violence case in the beginning of 2017, but at that time he refused.
Eurings succeeded current Dutch King Willem-Alexander as only Dutch IOC member in September 2013. He also was board member of the Dutch Olympic Committee NOC-NSF and quits that job as well.
