Footballer convicted of rape - looks like he'll get his job back

[SugarcoatedPoisonApple]

I'm not really a football fan, and while my husband and sons like football, they're not huge fans and prefer other sports (namely rugby and ice hockey).

However, given the fact my sons do like football to some degree, I was horrified to read that convicted rapist Ched Evans is probably going to be welcomed back my his old club with open arms.

See this article for details.

Some snippets from the article, for anyone who doesn't want to read the whole thing...

Evans’ agent, the Professional Footballers’ Association and Sheffield United have been negotiating his return for months, with representatives of all parties making frequent visits to HMP Wymott, near Leyland.

and...

The PFA said: “We have visited Ched in prison and have always supported him. We do not however condone in any way the offence for which he was convicted.

“We are aware of current developments but he has done his time irrespective of any appeal, and we will try to obtain his re-instatement but this is a very sensitive issue."

Surely the fact these organisations are willing to welcome Evans back into the game, has the potential to send the message to SOME young (male) football fans, that rape isn't really that serious of a crime?

I have written to Sheffield United, the Professional Footballers' Association and the F.A. to outline our disgust.

If anyone would like to do the same, here are the contact details:

Sheffield United Football Club
Bramall Lane
Sheffield
S2 4SU

OR

[email protected]

----

The Professional Footballers' Association
20 Oxford Court
Bishopsgate
Manchester
M2 3WQ

OR

The Professional Footballers' Association
10 Bow Lane
London
EC4M 9AL

OR

[email protected]

----

The Football Association
Wembley Stadium
PO Box 1966
London
SW1P 9EQ

----

I don't suppose it will do any good, but I'm not going to sit here and keep quiet, I had to voice my disgust to these organisations.

He's unlikely to apologise or anything as AFAIK he has always said he was innocent.

Stories like this just show up how the old "ruins your life" thing is, well, ot quite as true as some would have us believe.

The two men I know who have raped someone (and people know) have had no impact on their lives whatsoever.

The one woman in the area who reported a rape everyone thinks is deranged and made it all up.

The idea that being accused of rape ruins your life - and moreso than being accused of say child abuse or murder or torturing elderly people - is simply a lever for people who want to reduce the amount of prosecutions for this crime and/or change the bar of evidence and/or want victims to be worried about coming forward. Stories like this - a man who has been CONVICTED of rape whom people are fighting over to employ in a high-profile and lucrative job - just show it all for what it is.

I bet you that if Ched Evans had been found guilty of torturing old people or racially motivated violence or maltreatment of animals they wouldn't touch him with a barge-pole. Further that if it got out that people wanted to employ him back as a footballer there would be a massive public outcry.

A minor crime like rape, not so much.

IIRC, this is the case where the victims name was 'leaked'? He maintains his innocence, his gf maintains his innocence and is planning to marry the rapist, he raped a 19 year old girl while she was so drunk she couldn't actually remember going to the hotel room. His club, his agent, the club's owner all maintain his innocence. The comments on the article also state his innocence. He was one of the few men who are actually convicted and sent to prison. What more do we have to do, ffs?

Rape is the most serious adult on adult violent crime other than taking a life, isn't it?

WhentheRed - I'm usually all for giving people another chance, BUT Ched Evans is a professional footballer, he'll go back to having fans (young and old) treating him like some kind of (overpaid) god for kicking a ball around.

That is why I'm so against him being welcomed back into the game.

I'm not really surprised though, as two footballers were welcomed back by the sport, after killing people in separate drink-driving offences. One of them fled the scene after the accident. The second one killed two children.

Its a tough one really as it was a horrible crime but I don't think we should stop people going back into there profession just because they have been in jail.

Obviously he is in a privileged position of being a professional footballer but his career will all be all down hill just like what happened with Lee Hughes

I would actually like to see the FA support an anti-DV campaign along the lines of the anti-racism ones it has done. Especially given the documentation of increases in DV incidents around the times of football fixtures.

I won't be holding my breath for that though.

my DS plays for a junior team FairPhyllis and I have contacted the league on 3 separate occasions for incidents of sexism, racism and disablist language.

They have only ever acted on the racism.

The rest have been shrugged off as "banter" and "name calling".

If DS didst love it so much I think I would have removed him by now but I refuse to let a few narrow minded ignoramuses spoil his fun.

Oh footballers can get away with murder. Literally.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2148857/Luke-McCormick-offered-contract-Swindon-Town-FC-release-prison.html

(Sorry it's the Daily Mail!)

Disgraceful and sickening. Both of them. They should have the good grace to disappear from public view and do something good with their lives. But they won't. Too arrogant, too indulged. Vile creatures.

cattypussclaw sorry but your attitude is making things worse!

The story you quote is bad enough you don't have try lie about it to make your point!

Eh? What attitude? That I'm not impressed that premiership footballers can do what they like and get away with it? How am I making things worse!? I haven't raped anyone or got drunk and driven into them. Not sure how I can make that worse.

Yes, they have both served their time and deserve to rehabilitate and rebuild their lives. But they should show a little more contrition and, out of respect for their victims, do both do so out of the public eye.

Sorry, should both do so...

"Oh footballers can get away with murder. Literally"

This is 100% wrong.

He did not commit a murder.
He did not get away with the crime he did commit.

Feminists (in fact everybody) gets taken less seriously, and should get taken less seriously, if we change the facts to suit the argument. That makes things worse.

The guy who killed the children through drink driving is hardly in the public eye though. He plays for a league 2 team and I haven't seen him mentioned in the press since he was released from prison

Manslaughter then. Close enough. He got in his car and killed small boys because he was a selfish, arrogant fuck. And he has got away with it because he has gone back to his same old life and hasn't been affected (and don't tell me he wakes up every morning thinking of those two little boys because I absolutely don't believe he gives them a second thought).

But he is in the public eye, every time he goes out on the pitch to play. This is all about football clubs considering that their league position is more important than the victims and it makes me feel sick.

Why go with "close enough" when we could go with the facts?

He was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol and served four years -nowhere near long enough in my opinion I think he deserved over 10.

The fact is he KILLED two small boys, I don't think their parents would care what word we use to describe it.

Agree with you over the sentence though.

A rapist is not a role model.

I too have written to the PFA etc and regularly row with his supporters on Twitter/FB. I am disgusted but not surprised by the PFA and SUFC in their support for him, it's not exactly unusual for them to do this sort of thing.

All I can hope is that the abuse that he will get as soon as he walks on the pitch will make him reassess his future with the club - I can but dream.

I believe her
The jury believed her
The judge believed her

I hope he is punished every last day of his life.

Innocent until proven guilty, but only really guilty if we don't like you? How convenient...