Ched Evans was a footballer for Sheffield United when he raped a teenager after a night out in Rhyl, north Wales in May 2011. His friend and fellow footballer, Clayton McDonald, was also charged with the rape of the 19 –year–old, but was cleared. It was found that the woman was ‘too drunk to consent’ to sex.
Evans was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in 2012, yet maintains his innocence, mainly via a website, www.chedevans.com (and no, we're not going to it).
Girlfriend Natasha Massey, who has been in a relationship with him since before the crime, is continuing to stick by him: ‘The fact that Ched got charged with this crime, that kind of took over the fact that he had cheated so I dealt with that myself,’ she told Sky News.
‘It wasn't nice for the whole world to know what happened. My boyfriend had sex with another woman and that wasn't nice for the world to see, but I stood by Ched and still do.’
READ MORE: Police Warn That At Least Three People Have Been Raped After Using Dating Apps
It’s not only his girlfriend who’s agreeing with his protestations of innocence; in May, it was reported that Evans, who is set to be out on day release at some point this summer, would be returning to train with Sheffield United.
A source told The Mirror that the owner of the club, Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Mossad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, had given his seal of approval for Evans to return: ‘The prince has sets his sights on promotion next season. He wants an elite team. As Ched is Sheffield United’s top goal scorer the prince gave royal approval for his return. It’s now up to the club to sort things out.’
‘As long as he passes the [fitness] tests, he will sign a new £18,000-a-week deal.’
The club’s fans were also pleased at the possibility of his return, with Alan Smith, a member of the Sheffield United Supporters’ Club executive telling Sky News: ‘He has served his time, he has served his sentence and we would have him back. Good players like that have got to carry on playing and if not for Sheffield United it would be for someone else, and we would regret that.’
This has understandably stoked the ire of many people – how could someone go from raping a woman to earning the London Living Wage annual salary every week?
READ MORE: Two Women Have Reported Being Raped At University's Summer Ball
Rape Crisis England and Wales appealed to the club, a representative saying: ‘We would urge Sheffield United to think very carefully about the message that they send when they immediately re-employ someone who's been convicted of such a very serious crime.’
And those against his reinstatement are teaming together through online activism. Putting her anger into force, Jean Hatchet launched a petition against Evans’ return to Sheffield United: ‘I was horrified at potential message that Evans' reinstatement at the same club would send about the consequences of committing the crime of rape.’
Jean tells The Debrief that her goal of the petition, which has now been signed by 60,000 people, is to see that: ‘he is not offered a contract and the nation sees that crimes of violence against women and girls are taken seriously.’
The case does throw up some interesting questions. As Evans’ girlfriend puts it: ‘If Ched wasn't a professional footballer we wouldn't be having this conversation, because that was his job before he went to prison.
‘That's part of the whole rehabilitation process when you leave the prison and you go back to work.’
But Jean says that it isn’t right for Evans to go back: ‘Evans has not served his time. He's served half of it.’
‘Yes he should be rehabilitated. For that rehabilitation to be effective there should be an acknowledgement of his wrongdoing.’
READ MORE: 'My Rapist Added Me On Facebook': The Truth About Sexual Assault At Oxford University
As well as this, footballers do acquire a certain status in that, though they are paid as much as, say, bankers, they’re very visible to their clients, and quite literally applauded by young kids attending games: ‘The huge wages reflect the marketability of players. Those players are frequently more influential on young lives than those of politicians.’
And Jean’s already seen the wrong end of Evans’ enduring support through trolls on Twitter. It comes as little surprise that Jean’s getting trolled – at the time of Evans’ trial and conviction, some vehement supporters of his ended up in prison themselves after tweeting the name of the rape victim (it’s illegal to identify a victim of a sex offence). What they’re saying is pretty indictable, too: ‘One man Tweeted at me that he could come to my house and "turn me" by which I presume he meant have sex with me against my will as I'm a lesbian. Is this ok? No. Is this a direct result of the Evans case? Yes.’
She thinks that this sort of antagonistic attitude will only be bolstered by Evans’ reinstatement: ‘Most sex offenders would be unlikely to return neatly into a profession at the same level. However, in this case that position carries significant responsibility in influencing the attitudes of young people.’
‘Young men need educating that sex without obtained consent is always rape. To date, Evans refuses to accept this. His adoring fans will therefore likewise struggle with the concept.’
If you would like to sign the petition, you can visit Change.org here.
As yet, there is still no comment from Sheffield United’s representatives on whether Evans is to return to the club.
You might also be interested in:
Cambridge University Are Considering Compulsory Classes To Teach About Consent In Sex
Girl Forced To Drop Out Of Uni After Sexual Assaul, Perpetrators Barely Punished
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
Picture: Rex
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.