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Original poster

Footballer found guilty of rape

97 replies

margerykemp · 20/04/2012 23:46

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17781842

Ched Evans has been found guilty of rape and has Benin given 5 years. His co- accused was acquitted though for reasons that don't appear clear.

Hopefully this is a sign that our justice system is entering the 21st century, mini step at a time.

OP posts:
Kveta · 21/04/2012 06:57

I wondered about the co accused being acquitted. But it does send a good message to.rape survivors everywhere, the justice.system believes.you.

Kveta · 21/04/2012 06:58

Sorry for odd typing, phone is clearly channeling chaos

FridayOLeary · 21/04/2012 06:59

I am confused how the other one was found not guilty when he admitted having sex with her but the judge used her inability to consent as grounds for finding the other one guilty.

violathing · 21/04/2012 07:13

I understand that she got in a taxi with the acquitted man and had sex with him first - the Evans took advantage and had sex with her and according to reports on local news two other men were present recording the act

violathing · 21/04/2012 07:20

www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/guilty-rapist-ched-evans-has-thrown-away-his-career-says-judge-1-4470156

Sorry here is the story - he only lives half a mile from our house

timetochangeagain · 21/04/2012 07:30

It is odd that one is guilty and one is not, given that the judge references CCTV footage, showing how drunk she was, before she was even at the hotel.

Poor woman.

Glad at least one of them has been found guilty and given a reasonable sentence, I have never been able to get over the 5 footballers who didnt get any jail time.

timetochangeagain · 21/04/2012 07:34

this one sorry they were jailed, but let out on appeal.

AyeRobot · 21/04/2012 07:34

Seems that the jury didn't discard all of the rape myths.

Rape culture in action

Original poster
margerykemp · 21/04/2012 08:40

It seems that McDonald got off because she was seen on CCTV approaching him.

There is some horrible stuff on twitter re this.

OP posts:
chocoroo · 21/04/2012 08:47

I don't understand this one at all. The whole prosecution was set up around the fact she was too drunk to consent. Surely if that is true then they should both have been found guilty.

I feel sorry for the girl but I don't think this makes sense. Is five years a usual sentence for non-violent rape?

I should declare an interest in that I'm a Sheffield United fan and he's easily our best player so I don't know whether I'm just being a bit disbelieving of the whole thing because of that.

rosy71 · 21/04/2012 09:26

What a horribly depressing story. I can't believe that 2 others watched through the window and tried to film it Shock. It's very worrying that some young men obviously think this is normal behaviour.

KRITIQ · 21/04/2012 09:30

Non-violent rape? Are those supposed to be not so bad or something? Chocorro, your post astounds me. Either it is your misguided (obsessive) loyalty to your team or you are amongst the masses who turn to any wild explanation to excuse a rapist and hold the victim accountable.

I'm on my phone so can't link but another of your Sheffield United idols sent a tweet condemning the conviction, adding, 'if ur a slag, ur a slag . . .' about the victim.

I hope he gets his sorry ass sacked and no team touches him ever. But, I doubt it wwill be more than a blip on his record.

I mean come on, surely we all know all women are slags and privileged men like Evans can be forgiven for forgetting they ought to be sure that a woman wants sex with them or not. They just assume they all do, even the unconscious ones.

The filming of the rape also smacks of the actions of men who've consumed so much porn, they think it's real life.

chocoroo · 21/04/2012 09:44

Sorry kritiq I think you misunderstood me. I understand the judge classified it as non-violent.

I am not loyal to Evans, i think he should be sacked, as should Brown who made the comments. I have emailed the club to say as such.

I'm confused as to why one was found guilty and not the other. Or indeed if the other guys were filming it why they have not also been charged.

Chubfuddler · 21/04/2012 09:45

Rape is an act of violence. There is no such thing as a non violent rape.

HTH

chocoroo · 21/04/2012 09:50

Thanks chub. I agree, the judge apparently was lenient due to the "non violent" circumstances.

Chubfuddler · 21/04/2012 09:57

My snark was x posted with your second post, so I apologise. I would just hate anyone to fall into the trap of thinking rape could be non violent. This wasn't a case with additional aggravating violent aspects but obviously we agree, rape is always an act of violence.

I actually find raped of this kind deeply sinister. Makes one wonder if he had previous form for this kind of thing.

FrothyDragon · 21/04/2012 10:14

"non-violent rape"? Hmm

Chubfuddler · 21/04/2012 10:15

I suppose it was non violent in the sense the victim wasn't subjected to battering/threats etc. we think. Because the poor woman doesn't actually really know what was done to her.

FrothyDragon · 21/04/2012 10:16

Sorry, x posted by several.

Agree with chubfuddler. :( number of people who don't think of it as rape unless there's additional violence involved always alarms me.

FrothyDragon · 21/04/2012 10:17

no, it's still violent.

AyeRobot · 21/04/2012 10:26

The judge's comments were based on Sentencing Guidelines. 5 years is the starting point.

Good to see the the CPS in Wales have got more on board with rape myths since the conviction of the woman for withdrawing her statement against her abusive husband.

Malificence · 21/04/2012 11:04

Any decent man when confronted with a severely drunken woman on the street would surely have
a. found her friends to take her home or
b. put her in a licensed taxi to take her home.

Only rapist scum would do what that dispicable excuse for a human being did.
The not guilty verdict on the first man (who was actually the predator) is beyond belief.

messyisthenewtidy · 21/04/2012 11:13

All the remarks on Twitter and Yahoo make me sick. Why the onus on the woman's behavior? She went out, had too much to drink, what man hasn't done that at some point in his life? Is he inviting rape too?

Why is there so much sympathy for him? Because seriously, on what planet does a man walk into a hotel room where a woman is laying unconscious and think it's ok to have sex with her? On what planet do two men stand by recording it?

Oh, that's right - a planet where porn is cheap and accessible, where porn is about violence and the degradation of women is considered harmless entertainment and where all this shit makes men feel entitled to women's bodies.

Stupid privileged twat.

cornsyilk · 21/04/2012 11:17

that article made me feel sick

KRITIQ · 21/04/2012 11:58

Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick chocoroo. I'm also baffled that only one was convicted. From what I understand of the evidence in court, CCTV footage showed the woman in quite an incapacitated state (i.e. not able to stand up properly unaided,) hailing a cab. One of the men followed her into the cab and it drove off. If they had sex in the cab, it doesn't sound like it could have been consensual if she wasn't in any state to give consent before getting in the cab, let alone give consent to anything that happened later in the hotel.

I would like to say I'm shocked at the comments excusing the assailants' behaviour as no biggie and casting dispersions on the woman, but unfortunately I'm not the least bit surprised. It's important for all people to be aware that there are many, many, many people (not just men unfortunately,) who hold this entrenched view about rape.