Should Ched Evans play football again??

Yes, I can see why Evans was convicted. My main surprise is that McDonald was acquitted of rape and that he - and the two others - weren't charged with assisting in Evans' rape / voyeurism (has anyone suggested she consented to being filmed through the bedroom window?), but clearly not enough of the jury were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that McDonald raped her himself.

Even if the prosecution argued that the victim was ''too drunk to consent'', it is reasonable to believe that the victim knew what she was getting into and that McDonald had no intention of raping her. Evans simply turned up at the hotel and joined in, which is completely different.

If you meet someone in a club and go home to bang, then suddenly one of their mates comes and joins in, you won't be ok with it.

I'd love to see a transcript of McDonald explaining why he thought she was consenting to sex with Evans, when as you say he'd just turned up, and I'd love to know why Evans and the pair weren't charged with voyeurism - I can find no-one suggesting she consented to being filmed through the bedroom window.

Yes, the initial conviction was weak and I dont like the way that the situation is described as rape. Also can't take away a man's way of making a living. Thats how people get trapped in the cycle of being in and out of prison or even depression.

I don't remember Clegg coming out and critisising Sheffield Wednesday for keeping hold of Gary Madine, who has a lengthy history of serious assault and received an 18 month prison term last year.

The conviction was strong enough to stand up at the Court of Appeal where three judges - including the Lord Chief Justice, the highest judge of the courts of England and Wales - unanimously rejected the appeal.

While in prison, his club paid him £20,000 a month until his contract expired, then another £20,000 because no other club had taken up his contract.

If he cannot make a living given that sort of start in life, he has worse problems than being a convicted rapist. It may not be as well paid, but he should have thought of that before having sex with someone filmed on CCTV as being too drunk to stand up or remember where her handbag is.

How would you describe what he did, if not 'rape'?

I think if he came out and said "Look, I did something terrible, I'm sorry" it wouldn't be so bad, but he's still maintaining his innocence despite being found guilty in a court of law! I'm all for giving people another chance and believing they can change, but he's just been arrogant and shown no remorse whatsoever, which I think is what bothers people most - and what sends out the wrong message if a club signs him

For those interested, the full transcript of Evans failed appeal (both against the conviction and the sentence) are at

crimeline.info/uploads/cases/2012ewcacrim2559.pdf

If more people read it, fewer would think this was somehow a wrongful conviction.

In my opinion, the most disturbing aspect of this case is that some individuals seem unable to accept the verdict, even after the appeal was rejected.

I think if he came out and said "Look, I did something terrible, I'm sorry" it wouldn't be so bad, but he's still maintaining his innocence despite being found guilty in a court of law! I'm all for giving people another chance and believing they can change, but he's just been arrogant and shown no remorse whatsoever, which I think is what bothers people most - and what sends out the wrong message if a club signs him

I think that whoever gives him a contract will expect him to give a public apology. It would be a PR disaster if they didn't.

He doesn't even have to show remorse for what he did. He could just say something like "I wish none of this had ever happened", which is probably true (at least I bloody HOPE so) and would already appease a lot of people - even if it doesn't mean what they think it means. I don't personally know whether he technically committed rape (although I do think it is very likely), but I do know that I find the whole of his behaviour on that night morally revolting, and not "perfectly normal and acceptable" like his family and some other supporters try to make it out to be. I think that if he is technically innocent of rape, then yes, they should indeed continue to appeal, but I think it is a mistake of them to do this publicly, pretending that he did "nothing wrong". The big picture does show him up as a person without common decency and manners at the very least. (He is in good company among some fellow footballers in that respect, to be sure. :-) )

Why? If he says anything, no matter what, it will be taken by damn near everybody as an admission of guilt, and given that this situation still seems very much inconclusive it is highly likely that he still believes that he was wrongfully convicted, and as such does not want to say anything which would be taken as an admission of guilt.

"I wish none of this had ever happened" is not an admission of guilt!

Like Sr90 said, the club that signs him will surely make him say something. They have their own PR to consider.

Why? If he says anything, no matter what, it will be taken by damn near everybody as an admission of guilt, and given that this situation still seems very much inconclusive it is highly likely that he still believes that he was wrongfully convicted, and as such does not want to say anything which would be taken as an admission of guilt.

What is really horrible is that the girl was abused by people calling her horrible names when She was a victim of rape and these kinds of people are supporters of Ched so maybe we need to keep them unhappy as punishment for this abuse.

Even after reading that I can;t figure out how have they proved it beyond reasonable doubt.



Lmao you weren;t there

Really? You laughed your a** off?

And presumably you weren't in court, didn't hear all the evidence and 'weren't there'