I'm not sure where I stand on this, how about you? http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/jailed-soccer-ace-ched-evans-6981949
My problem is, he is still claiming to be innocent, for a girl to make that sort of false accusation is pretty horrific, also, another man who admitted having sex with her was found not guilty, hf Evans truly is innocent, he should be allowed to continue his career, if he is guilty, who would want him in their team? I wouldn't!
Dave you know that I'm a hanging and flogging old fashioned Tory but even I can accept the need for rehabilitation back into Society! He was found guilty by a jury, he served his time and repaid his debt to society. He has the right to get on with his life and if that means that Sheff Utd want him back then I dont see why this would be a problem. We spend Millions on prisoner rehab and under the 1974 act it is unlawful for any ex offender to be turned down for a job based on his or her criminal record.
Agreed and the girl he raped is serving a life sentence! We men can never appreciate what that does to a woman!
That's a different arguement altogether! The prisoner doesn't determine how long he serves its down to the Judge and what the Law allows. I agree that sentencing is generally far too lenient but on the basic premise of prisoner rehabilitation I stick by what I have said.
agree with warky, he has served the time the judge deems fit, there are appeals procedures if people think the sentence is too light, so when he comes out he should be allowed to resume his chosen profession. If he was a forklift driver, would you still stand by the fact he can't go back to being a forklift driver?
The sentencing issue seems strange, but he wasn't sentenced to five years in prison, he was sentenced to five years which means that he will do approximately 2 1/2 years in prison and the rest on licence in the community, if he breaks the conditions of the sentence he would have to do the rest of the time in prison. The judge could have sentenced him differently, but decreed the level of punishment
I'm not saying he is innocent or what not, but he was 23 when "it" happened. And the case is not as clear cut as people think. It indeed was very complex. He got convicted on the fact the girl was too drunk to be able to consent to sex from what I remember, she didn't actually say no or was even able to. A lot of kids his age go out drinking on the weekends with the aim to pick drunk girls up and have sex. Not saying it's right but it happens a lot, that's how I met my wife! I personally think he has paid the price and served his time and should be allowed to get on with his life.
it was a complicated case, but the jury were able to return two separate verdicts. One act of intercourse was not deemed to be consensual and therefore rape and not simply because of the level of inebriation of the woman involved.
It will be interesting to see the outcome of the latest DLT case! The CPS are definately gunning for him but unfortunately they completely missed the main target years ago!
That is exactly how I feel! I'm sure some of you don't understand what rape does to a woman, it's the vilest and most intrusive assault imaginable!
Dave there is no one saying that it isnt, of course rape is a vile terrible crime but at the same time, once an offender has served their prison term they should be allowed to get on with their lives just like everyone else! He will be on the Sex Offenders register for the rest of his life. We are a civilised society (or supposed to be) and rehabilitation must be a priority once an offender is released from prison.
We will never see eye to eye on this, unless someone close to you is raped! Trust me, then full life inside won't be enough!
It's hard to second guess trial verdicts without having sat through the whole thing and being presented with all the evidence. Ultimately I'm, as I've probably shown in the past, similarly politically minded to JWM the debate as to wether he's paid his debt to society is the product of a much wider discussion on sentencing. In Evans case I understood a lack of malice was what lead to his relatively short incarceration. With regards to after someone has left prison they should be actively encouraged to seek employment and not disqualified from things because of their history. Denying people employment due to a criminal past is a pretty good way to guarantee a criminal future. I personally can see no reason why Evans can't get work as a footballer, it's not like he's working with children, which would probably be the only expect ion to my previous rule.
We are all agreed that Rape is a heinous crime and my heart goes out to everyone who is suffering as a result of such inhumanity. Thankfully I have never come across anyone in my family or wider circle of friends who has experienced this awful crime and I have a complete lack of understanding as to what it must be like to live with.