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Ched Evans faces uncertain future after serving rape sentence Ched Evans faces uncertain future after serving rape sentence
(about 9 hours later)
Ched Evans had scored 35 goals in 42 games for Sheffield United before a jury at Carnaerfon crown court brought his 2011-12 season abruptly to a halt. The 23-year-old Welsh international wept as he was convicted of raping a 19-year-old woman he had met in a pizza queue during a night out in Rhyl. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Ched Evans had scored 35 goals in 42 games for Sheffield United before a jury at Carnaerfon crown court brought his 2011-12 season to a halt. The 23-year-old Welsh international wept as he was convicted of raping a 19-year-old woman he had met in a pizza queue during a night out in Rhyl. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
The judge Merfyn Hughes QC said the victim had been far too drunk to consent to having sex in a Premier Inn hotel room in the north Wales town. “You must have realised that,” he told Evans. “You have thrown away the successful career in which you were involved.” The judge, Merfyn Hughes QC, said the victim had been far too drunk to consent to having sex in a Premier Inn hotel room in the north Wales town. “You must have realised that,” he told Evans. “You have thrown away the successful career in which you were involved.”
Well, perhaps. Shortly before 5am on Friday morning, 30 months after his conviction in April 2012, Evans was driven out of the gates of Wymott prison in Lancashire in a silver Mercedes 4x4, to freedom and to a future that this week found itself the focus of intense debate. Precisely what Evans, now 25, will do in the short term is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the footballer certainly does not consider his career to be over. Well, perhaps. On Friday night, hours after Evans was driven out of the gates of Wymott prison in Lancashire in a silver Mercedes 4x4, it was reported that his career was anything but over. After a week of intense debate over whether the player should be allowed to return to football, the Sun newspaper, quoting an unnamed source, said the player has been offered a two-year contract by his former club worth £500,000, “and is expected to sign it”. Sheffield United could not immediately be reached for comment. Precisely what Evans, now 25, will do for now is uncertain, but one thing is clear: he certainly does not consider his career over.
Far from being contrite about the crime for which he was unanimously convicted, Evans continues to assert his innocence and has amassed a team of private investigators and lawyers, funded by the millionaire father of the girlfriend he cheated on but who is standing by him, in an attempt to overturn his conviction. His ambition is to do so while turning out each week in the red and white stripes of Sheffield United. Far from being contrite about the crime of which he was unanimously convicted, Evans continues to assert his innocence and has amassed a team of private investigators and lawyers, funded by the millionaire father of the girlfriend he cheated on but who is standing by him, in an attempt to overturn his conviction. His ambition is to do so while turning out each week in the red and white stripes of Sheffield United.
A statement posted on Evans’s campaign website on Friday said the player would make “a very personal and profound statement by video” next week. He appealed for privacy while he “adjust[s] to a normal life”. The Welsh international striker’s campaign website on Friday said he would make “a very personal and profound statement by video” next week. He appealed for privacy to “adjust to a normal life”.
Criminals are released from prison and return to work every day, but the prospect of an unrepentant convicted rapist retaking his place at a League One football club has proved another matter altogether. Almost 150,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org urging the club not to reinstate the player, saying that to do so would be “a deep insult to the woman who was raped and to all women like her who have suffered at the hands of a rapist”. Criminals are released from prison and return to work every day, but the prospect of an unrepentant convicted rapist retaking his place at a League One football club has proved another matter. Almost 150,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org urging the club not to reinstate the player, saying that to do so would be “a deep insult to the woman who was raped and to all women like her who have suffered at the hands of a rapist”.
Nick Clegg, the MP for Sheffield Hallam, said in a radio broadcast that United “should think really long and hard” before re-signing the striker. Rape was “an unbelievably serious offence”, he said, “I just don’t believe that the owners of a football club can somehow wish away the fact that that has happened.” Nick Clegg, the MP for Sheffield Hallam, said on the radio that United “should think really long and hard” before re-signing the striker. Rape was “an unbelievably serious offence”, the deputy prime minister said. “I just don’t believe that the owners of a football club can somehow wish away the fact that that has happened.”
The television presenter Judy Finnegan sparked a blizzard of protest when she argued during a broadcast that the player should be allowed to retake his place since he had served his sentence, and that, besides, Evans “wasn’t violent and the victim was drunk … He didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person.” The television presenter Judy Finnegan provoked a blizzard of protest when she argued during a broadcast that the player should be allowed to retake his place since he had served his sentence, and that, besides, he “wasn’t violent and the victim was drunk … He didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person”.
She later apologised for causing offence while standing by her argument, and received rape threats on Twitter against both herself and her daughter Chloe Madeley. She later apologised for causing offence but stood by her argument, and rape threats were made on Twitter against both herself and her daughter, Chloe Madeley.
For those opposed to any prospect of a return for the footballer, the issue turns on his continued insistence of his innocence and the profile of the job to which he wants to go back. Evans does not dispute most of the facts of the prosecution case against him: he admits that on a night out in Rhyl in May 2011 with his friend and fellow footballer Clayton McDonald, the pair had met the 19-year-old in the queue of a pizza shop when she fell over drunkenly and Evans stepped over her. For those opposed to any prospect of a return for the footballer, the issue turns on his continued insistence of his innocence and the profile of the job to which he wants to go back. Evans does not dispute most of the facts of the prosecution case against him: he admits that, on a night out in Rhyl in May 2011 with his friend and fellow footballer Clayton McDonald, the pair met the 19-year-old in the queue of a pizza shop when she fell over drunkenly and Evans stepped over her.
McDonald and the girl took in a taxi to his hotel, with Evans following later in another taxi, and both men had sex with her while Evans’s brother and a friend stood outside the room’s window filming what was happening on their phones. The woman told the court she woke alone with no memory of what had happened, and went to the police later that day. Both men were charged with rape. McDonald was acquitted, Evans convicted. McDonald and the girl took a taxi to his hotel, with Evans following later in another taxi, and both men had sex with her while Evans’s brother and a friend stood outside the room’s window filming what was happening on their phones. The woman told the court she woke alone with no memory of what had happened, and went to the police later that day. Both men were charged with rape. McDonald was acquitted, Evans convicted.
His victim was forced to move away from her home after being widely named on social media, for which a number of people were convicted and fined, and she has now been given a new identity. His victim was forced to move away from her home after being named on social media, for which a number of people were convicted and fined, and she has now been given a new identity.
“None of us say that somebody who has been convicted of a crime and served his sentence shouldn’t have a right to work,” said Sarah Green, a spokeswoman for the End Violence Against Women coalition. “But there is a problem with someone who has shown no remorse for their crimes, and more than that, is running a miscarriage of justice campaign, going back to a large platform to promote that campaign, and that’s not acceptable.”“None of us say that somebody who has been convicted of a crime and served his sentence shouldn’t have a right to work,” said Sarah Green, a spokeswoman for the End Violence Against Women coalition. “But there is a problem with someone who has shown no remorse for their crimes, and more than that, is running a miscarriage of justice campaign, going back to a large platform to promote that campaign, and that’s not acceptable.”
She pointed out that Evans was denied leave to appeal. “Anybody can say ‘I am going to get my conviction overturned’, but this is a very safe conviction,” she said. She pointed out that Evans was denied leave to appeal. “Anybody can say, ‘I am going to get my conviction overturned,’ but this is a very safe conviction,” she said.
Evans’s family and campaign team describe his conviction as “a gross miscarriage of justice”, and in June they submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to have the case referred back to the court of appeal. His girlfriend, Natasha Massey, and sister Kylie appeared on ITV’s This Morning to insist on his innocence (“Just because 12 people found him guilty, people should not necessarily listen to them,” said Kylie Evans). But, unhappy with the tone of the reporting around his case, the family later said they would be making no further public comment. Evans’s family and campaign team, however, describe his conviction as “a gross miscarriage of justice”, and in June they submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to have the case referred back to the court of appeal. The player’s girlfriend, Natasha Massey, and his sister Kylie appeared on ITV’s This Morning to insist on his innocence (“Just because 12 people found him guilty, people should not necessarily listen to them,” said Kylie Evans). But, unhappy with the tone of the reporting around his case, the family later said they would be making no further public comment.
“The family’s priority is always to get Ched’s name cleared,” Russ Whitfield, the private investigator hired by Massey’s father, Karl, to challenge the case, told the Guardian. “He continues to maintain his innocence, and the fact is there are professionals who have looked at this case who also have serious concerns about the conviction.”“The family’s priority is always to get Ched’s name cleared,” Russ Whitfield, the private investigator hired by Massey’s father, Karl, to challenge the case, told the Guardian. “He continues to maintain his innocence, and the fact is there are professionals who have looked at this case who also have serious concerns about the conviction.”
Asked about the footballer’s professional plans, he said: “This is something the family have no control over, so I’m not going to comment on anything with regard to football.”Asked about the footballer’s professional plans, he said: “This is something the family have no control over, so I’m not going to comment on anything with regard to football.”
For the time being, Sheffield United are taking much the same position – though it is clear the club does not consider its relationship with the player to be at an end. Though he is out of contract, Evans was never sacked by United, and the club has stayed in contact with him while in prison as part of what it described as “its ongoing policy of providing a duty of care to former employees” – a comment that was met with incredulity by anti-rape campaigners and others. For the time being, Sheffield United are taking much the same position – though it is clear that the club does not consider its relationship with the player to be at an end. Though he is out of contract, Evans was never sacked by United, and the club has stayed in contact with him in prison as part of what it described as “its ongoing policy of providing a duty of care to former employees” – a comment that was met with incredulity by anti-rape campaigners and others.
Nigel Clough, the club’s manager, said this week it was for its owners – the millionaire businessman Kevin McCabe and Saudi prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – to make the call. If the club re-signed Evans, he would then decide whether or not to play him. Nigel Clough, the club’s manager, said this week it was for the owners – the millionaire businessman Kevin McCabe and Saudi prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – to make the call. If the club re-signed Evans, Clough would then decide whether or not to play him.
Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, believes the player should be allowed to return, arguing that “If he earns money he’ll pay taxes, those taxes will go to help people who maybe can’t get a job”. Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, believes the player should be allowed to return: “If he earns money, he’ll pay taxes. Those taxes will go to help people who maybe can’t get a job.”
Katie Russell, spokeswoman for Rape Crisis England and Wales, said the charity was focused on rape victims rather than what happened to rape perpetrators, and that “as such, we’re concerned that survivors’ voices and feelings not be lost or overlooked in the furore surrounding one high-profile rapist’s release from prison”. Katie Russell, spokeswoman for Rape Crisis England and Wales, said the charity was focused on rape victims rather than what happened to rape perpetrators, and that “as such, we’re concerned that survivors’ voices and feelings not be lost or overlooked in the furore surrounding one high-profile rapist’s release from prison”. She called on football clubs to make clear statements condemning sexual violence, and to commit to educating fans “about the meaning of consent and respect in relationships”.
She called on football clubs to make clear statements condemning sexual violence, and to commit to educating fans “about the meaning of consent and respect in relationships”. She added: “How will football fulfil its responsibility to its followers and make explicit that there is no place for rape and abuse in ‘the beautiful game’?” She added: “How will football fulfil its responsibility to its followers and make explicit that there is no place for rape and abuse in ‘the beautiful game’?”