Ministry of Justice steps in to prevent Ched Evans from playing abroad

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/03/malta-prime-minister-hibernians-ched-evans

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Attempts by Ched Evans to resurrect his football career were quashed last night after the British government stepped in to prevent the convicted rapist plying his trade overseas.

The intervention by the Ministry of Justice followed an announcement on Friday by the Maltese side Hibernians that they had offered the former Sheffield United forward a deal for the remainder of the season.

As speculation mounted that the 26-year-old was preparing to rehabilitate his career on the Mediterranean island, the MoJ issued a statement clarifying that, as a convicted sex offender on licence, Evans was barred from working abroad.

Earlier, women’s groups on Malta had pledged to hold a meeting this week to discuss the arrival of Evans.

The Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations said the issue was sensitive and that they faced problems with attitudes to sexual violence against women on the island.

Pressure on Hibernians to withdraw its offer to Evans, 26, escalated throughout yesterday with the Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat warning that the club’s decision risked harming the reputation of the island, which relies largely on tourism.

However Evans’s latest apparent attempt to get back into football was – even before the MoJ’s statement – shrouded in mystery, with the striker’s spokesperson dismissing the Maltese link as fabricated just hours after Hibernians officials confirmed they had offered him a deal and that supporters were “waiting for him minute by minute to come here”.

Evans, a Wales international, is keen to return to football after being released from prison in October. He had been found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in 2011.

In November, Evans saw an offer to train with Sheffield United – sponsored by the Malta Tourism Authority between 2008 and 2011 – withdrawn following fierce local opposition. A petition opposing Evans’s return attracted 160,000 signatures, while Tranmere, Oldham and Hartlepool also turned down the chance to sign him.

The thwarted move by Hibernians, who are 15 points clear at the top of the country’s domestic league, again highlighted the controversy that surrounds Evans and his attempts to get back into the sport.

Lorraine Spiteri, chair of the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations, said sexual violence on Malta was a sensitive issue and there remained deep-rooted attitudes that needed to be addressed.

“There are still some cultures to change, and we are working on them: there is the police culture, the patriarchal culture, the masculine culture – these are all ingrained in our Maltese tradition.”

Incidents of rape are not recorded on Malta; the issue is a key theme for women campaigners, who say that the island lacked an easily accessible rape crisis centre until last year.

Reports indicated that Paola-based Hibernians, whose stadium holds 3,000 compared to the 20,000 who used to watch Evans at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground, had spoken to Evans’s agent and offered him a contract for the rest of the season.

The development prompted Malta’s prime minister to tweet: “Footballers are role models. Hibs decision will define them + to an extent Malta.”

Footballers are role models. Hibs decision will define them + to an extent #Malta. I hope mgmt understand this clearly before final decision

Earlier, though, Malta’s justice minister Owen Bonnici appeared to welcome the mooted arrival of Evans, saying he deserved a “second chance” after serving half of a five-year prison sentence.