Mumsnet, will you tell the woman that Ched Evans raped, that We Believe Her? And call upon the FA to kick sexism out of football?

[BasilFoulEggs]

Dear Mumsnet
As you are no doubt aware, there has been the most extraordinary hate campaign waged this week by some football fans, against a rape victim in the wake of the Ched Evans Guilty Verdict.

The jist of the hatespeak, has been that a drunk woman has no right to expect the basic human right of not having her body penetrated without her active participation in that sexual act, or even her passive consent. Presumably because men (or at least footballers and their friends) have the right to penetrate women who are incapable of consent. And that if a man rapes you, it is because you are a slut, a slag and all the other hate-speak words used to de-humanise women and make it easier for people not to empathise with us when we are abused.

This week has seen the really ugly spectacle, of a bunch of men asserting their right to rape women, handmaidens supporting that right and both of them sending out a clear warning to all other rape victims, to know what to expect if they dare to pursue justice if they are raped.

If there had been a similar outpouring of hatred against any other historically oppressed group, the rest of the media would have been tearing their hair out analysing why some men hated this group so much, where the hatred came from, why it existed, what could be done about it; but ironically apart from the Daily Fail, there has been very little comment in response to the Twitter hate-campaign. If Twitter had buzzed with indignation at the jailing of the man who posted hate-speak about Fabrice Muamba, I?ve no doubt that the FA would have tracked down the posters and banned them from football matches. Because they?re busy kicking racism out of football. Sexism, though, is fine. They can give a bloody award to a convicted rapist, while their supporters conduct what must be a terrifying hate campaign against his teenage victim? right now, football fans don?t look all that much better than the Taliban, do they?

Mumsnet, will you use the voice you have against this horrible hate campaign? Will you tell the woman that Ched Evans raped, that We Believe Her? Will you ask the FA to state publicly, that they too, believe her and that in future, they will work as hard to kick sexism out of football, as they do to kick racism out?

Thank You.

Shame on Mr Elvish.

I feel quite sickened by the support for a convicted rapist.

I believe her, the court believed her and served justice.

I believe her

I wanted to reply to this post on NMs but they won't let me . I joined especially and was gonna be nice and everyfink [rejected]

I'm going to reply here and hope the poster sees it since the campaign is originally a MN campaign she might be lurking and also because I have seen similar comments on FB amd news sites.

Quote from NM...

'Just playing devils advocate here - but if it's socially wrong for people to comment saying they DON'T believe her when they don't really know the facts of the case, should it not also be socially unacceptable to start a campaign saying you DO believe her, when you're only presented with the same facts?

Nobody really knows what happened that night apart from Ched Evans and the other footballer...even the girl in question, by her own admission doesn't remember.'

The jury had all the facts and evidence. They had both sides of the story and eye witness accounts. Faced with all these facts, the jury believed her. They found Ched Evans guilty of rape because he is guilty of rape. It has been proven in a court of law.

The fact that the woman was so drunk that she doesn't clearly remember what happened is evidence that she was too drunk to give consent, imo.

Oh look! You can share your view with the Lib Dems on that man here.

Has Liam Elvish disabled his twitter account and started anther? the only one I can find has very few followers.

I believe her.

EVANS IS A CONVICTED RAPIST. What part of that statement are his deluded supporters not understanding?

I believe her.

I believe her

could this thread be allowed to go past 1000 posts?

I'll say it again - i believe her

So with petitions saying he should still get whatever the hell football award is it better to a) leave well alone b) fill up the petition with the statement that he is a convicted rapist and sexual abuse is actually significantly more important than sport? (with a side order of if he had drugged an anally raped a man would you still be banging on about its the football that counts?

I believe her

Thank you for that link Narked. I have sent an email.

I believe her.

A jury of his peers had the opportunity to review ALL the evidence and find this man guilty of one of the most despicable offences known to mankind.

The subsequent behavior of some of his peers bring shame upon us all as a nation.

The FA has failed abjectly to condemn those professional players associated with leading this harrassment campaign. Inertia has led to a national disgrace and football can no longer be considered "the national sport" while it condones something so ugly.

The unacceptable vileness promoted by "football culture" is not one we want to contaminate our children. No longer can football be considered a healthy activity for our young son's minds and bodies. I will be trying to do all I can to persuade my son to pursue other, more wholesome leisure activities after recent events.

For a country once considered the epitomy of sporting fairness, we are each and every one of us shamed by the treatment of this vulnerable girl.

Oh look! You can share your view with the Lib Dems on that man here.

Done just that. Ta for the link.

I believe her

I also believe that no one should be above the law, be they the Prime Minister or some rapist who can vaguely kick a ball around in an appropriate fashion.

Sexism is way too acceptable in football as is treating women as objects, as play things (remember the stories about the Man Utd Christmas parties and spit-roasting girls?), and it's disgusting. women

I have emailed a link to this thread to my teenage nieces and suggested they share it with friends. There are too many young men and women not thinking the facts through. Too many thinking that a girl who is unconscious having gone willingly (it would appear) to a hotel room with a man is "up for it".

I am saying to them that "unconscious through drink or drugs or both ( especially if that drink may have been spiked) does not imply consent. I am saying to them that unless a woman is consciously and freely saying " yes yes yes," then the answer is in fact a big fat NO!

I hope they are reading and understanding. When my DS is old enough he will be categorically told this.

I have sent a comment to the lib dems. Have also facebooked it.

I believe her

Have shared my views with the lib dems.

I believe her

I believe her.

Men do not need to carry around a consent contract! People who suggest this are likely to be rape apologists.

A woman who is semi (or completely) comatose, who can't speak clearly or has lost physical co-ordination CANNOT knowingly consent. To fuck her is rape.

A woman who's crying or tries to push the man away is DENYING consent. To fuck her is rape.

A woman who's frozen, looks scared or can't look the man in the face is NOT consenting. To fuck her is rape.

A woman who's joining in, encouraging penetration and looks enthusiastic is CONSENTING. As long as she's showing she's happy, it's not rape.

If she STOPS consenting and you carry on fucking her, that's rape.

Common sense, really.

I do hope I meet my local Lib candidate at the poll booth on Thursday. I have already given the Tory one the benefit of my wisdom on a number of things.

I believe her

I believe her

I believe her