According to a story in the BBC, Steve Bruce, the manager of Hull City FC:
might be upsetting people but there is a question of the rape and how he's been convicted by a jury
A troubling story in England has taken a disgusting turn. Ched Evans, a former professional soccer player in England was convicted of rape in 2012, released after serving half his term, attempted to sign a deal with a 3rd level team, and after the deal fell apart, this is the latest news.
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Ched Evans was a promising footballer playing for Sheffield United and the Welsh national team. He and a longtime friend were arrested and tried for rape in 2012. From the BBC
During the trial, the jury saw video interviews in which the woman, now 20, said she could not remember what happened and feared her drinks were spiked.
The friend was acquitted, but Evans was convicted:
"In sentencing him to five years in prison the judge said: "The complainant was 19 years of age and was extremely intoxicated. CCTV footage shows, in my view, the extent of her intoxication when she stumbled into your friend. As the jury have found, she was in no condition to have sexual intercourse. When you arrived at the hotel, you must have realised that.
Evans was recently released on the English version of parole and is attempting to appeal the verdict. That appeal was rejected, but his case now lies with the Criminal Review Commission.
After being released from jail, Evans reached an agreement with Oldham (a 3rd division team) to train. Around New Years, when clubs were officially allowed to start signing players, it was reported that Oldham was going to offer Evans a deal. The reaction was swift and decisive against the club. The following happened:
A petition against Oldham signing Evans reached 170,000 signatures.
The two main sponsors of Oldham have threatened to withdraw their support.
British Labour Leader, Ed Milliband was quoted as saying
He hasn’t shown remorse and I wouldn’t take him on
Yesterday, it was
reported that the deal was off, and Evans lashed out, blaming "mob rule" and the "more radical elements of society" without taking any responsibility for his actions yet again. Okay, so perhaps that's not entirely true. He
apologizedfor the "effects of that night".
That brings us to the quote this morning from Steve Bruce. Bruce is in a position of authority as the manager of a Premier League franchise, a league that is broadcast in 212 countries and to 643m homes worldwide. Perhaps stupid comments can come from any type of person in any country, but given the attitudes towards women in US sport, this is a very troubling development.