Ched Evans: Rapist footballer's mum 'glad to have him home' as she thanks supporters

[ananasonastick.livejournal.com]

Ched Evans' mother has confirmed her rapist footballer son has left prison and said she is 'glad to have him home'.

Helen Roberts tweeted a message today thanking supporters helping keep her family "strong".

The 25-year-old has been locked up in HMP Wymott near Preston, Lancashire, since 2012.

Mrs Roberts wrote: "Thank you to every single person that has supported, took abuse and argued for Ched and my family it really has helped keep us strong. xxx"

Glamour model Nicola McLean tweeted her to say "you must be so glad to have him home".

Mrs Roberts replied: "Yes I am. Thank you xx"

Evans was jailed after being found guilty of raping a 19-year-old waitress in a Premier Inn hotel room near Rhyl, North Wales.

He was freed this morning after serving half of a five-year sentence.

You can read the whole story HERE

Also - Ched Evans: Rapist footballer 'leaves prison after jumping into waiting 4X4 with blacked-out windows at 5am'

Comments

[jesscp.livejournal.com]

I for one hope he never returns to Sheffield Utd.

I do think though that he should be rehabilitated back in work however for me, ideally not the footballing world as I think it would set a disastrous example.

Out of interest though, the non-uk members, has anything like this happened in your countries and how was it dealt with? It's been kicking off quite a bit in the media this week here!

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Right now, I can't think of any high profile sports people who've raped/violated the laws like this. But generally rape convictions result in harsh sentences. 10 years to life depending on the severity of the crime and death penalty for rape and murder.

But then again, there are politicians who have murder charges currently pending against them and nothing's happened so far :(

[marsyke.livejournal.com]

I think that in most countries in western europe this is quite normal. The discussion here is more about the football than the conviction in itself.

hmm yeah.

[jazzypom.livejournal.com]

I do think though that he should be rehabilitated back in work however for me, ideally not the footballing world as I think it would set a disastrous example.

I agree with this comment. On one hand, the man has to work and live, and he's a professional footballer. It can be argued that he's served his time. England bangs on about rehabilitation into society, because you do want to integrate them back into the fold, so to speak. I mean, it's going to be on record for the next seven years until his crime is considered 'spent' so wherever he goes (be it football or even just mopping floors), he's going to have a criminal record. On the other hand, it's such a vile crime, especially when it comes to footballers and their dodgy relationships with women and just... it's a mess.

[ladya-sama.livejournal.com]

Don't know if there's any legal regulation against letting him back in in spite of the nature of the crime ... but I do know that he can expect a shit storm of abuse from the stands every time he touches the ball if a club ever does sign him. Not to mention that, as long as he does play, he'll have the media hounding his every move. Should just count his (undeserved) blessings and step away and find some other, low-key job.

[itsacoco.livejournal.com]

Ikr. Bad enough that RVP got chanted at. What more when someone was actually proven guilty? :|

[minervasolo.livejournal.com]

A lot of high profile jobs have morality clauses, allowing employers to drop people if they become 'embarrassing' to employ. I'm continuously surprised how many football club continue employing footballers (and managers, and other staff) who are media toxic due to their own actions.

[jenny-jenkins.livejournal.com]

Fuck this dude.

[ananasonastick.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't want to.

[itsacoco.livejournal.com]

I don't know what to say. He did the crime and served his time but five years is an awfully short amount of time. I don't know how things run in other countries but here, the penalty is a lot more than that. At least 12 years or more. It's quite unsettling knowing he still had supporters after that ordeal.

[ladya-sama.livejournal.com]

Every country has it's own stipulations(?? not sure that's the word I want to use, but can't think of a more appropriate one at the moment). I think the reason why he only got five years (and served only half of it!) was because it wasn't a "violent assault"; he didn't kidnap her, tie her up and then rape her, for example. Yes, sounds horrible, but every crime is judged on a scale/spectrum, and his was concluded to be on the lesser end.

Lot of his supporters are playing the "he didn't really hurt her/they'd both been drinking/he misread the signs" cards and are really banking on the belief that, since the girl was too drunk to even remember it, it couldn't have been that traumatic. Basically, they're saying that, "Hey, it wasn't, like, RAPE rape. It was just a bit rape-y. Actually, it was just sex ... Just ... without her fully knowing it. But, hey, it happens, right? Men are from Mars, women from Venus, and all that? He probably should have thought it through better, but it's not like it ended catastrophically."

... And then we as a species look around us a go, "Man, WHY is the world so fucked up??" (Hint: because it's infested with humans, that's why. We're our own worst enemy.)

[mrscrapbag.livejournal.com]

no sis it should be death penalty even. rapists aren't deserving of mercy or sympathy!

[marsyke.livejournal.com]

He is a convicted rapist so there are no excuses for what he has done. He has served his time so he can get back into work life. But I have a problem with the football. I would have difficulty to pay to watch him play. I wonder if sponsors would want to be associated with him.

[mrscrapbag.livejournal.com]

serving half of a five-year sentence

WHAT THE FUCK?! not to mention how fucking short of a sentence that is and he didn't even finish it?! that's bullshit!

i'm so fucking appalled and disgusted by how the justice system completely treats victims of rape and abuse as if they are unimportant and miniscule compared to other victims of crimes!
i don't have sympathy for anyone who takes advantage of a person like that and i wish every rapist would get a death sentence!

FUCK THIS DUDE AND ANYONE WHO DEFENDS HIM!

[ananasonastick.livejournal.com]

In Poland a rapist can get from 2 to 12 years. Sometimes more or less.

that's how it is in england, iirc

[jazzypom.livejournal.com]

If you admit that you're guilty of the crime, your time is halved. I think if it has to go to court, trial and such and you're found guilty, the book is thrown at you. *looks around me* I live in a dodgy part of England, tbh.

[minervasolo.livejournal.com]

IANAL, but the way sentencing works in the UK is that you spend half in prison, and half under certain conditions outside (http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk/sentencing/sentencing-myths.htm). So he could find himself back inside very easily if he misbehaves. Personally, though I don't object to the system working like this, I sure as hell think he should have got longer in the first place. Sentencing on rape and sexual assault is far too lenient in this country.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Here, because the crimes against women and children is so bad that the government is seriously considering chemical castration in addition to jail time. And I think the only reason we have death penalty is for rape and murder cases. After the Nirbhaya case (you can Google it), the laws have become harsher with 10 years to life being given depending on how severe the crime is. It's not made much of a difference because every day, there is something about a woman or a child being raped and murdered in the papers, but it's a start. And it's still so awful here that even policemen have raped women.

There are so many causes for this: our low sex ratio, our misogynistic and sexist society, this need to adhere to tradition (which just means that Indian men can behave however they want and women have to shut up, bear children and tend to the kitchen). Bigamy and polygamy are still practiced here even among politicians and especially in the state I live in. It's stuff like this that makes me so ashamed of my country sometimes (plus our inability to follow basic rules).

OT

[ananasonastick.livejournal.com]

Do you know if any of the mods are still active? I would like to talk about some issues like copyright and etc.

RE: OT

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

rare_lj and funhouse are the mods. But the Free for All post should be up later so you can ask them then?

RE: OT

[funhouse.livejournal.com]

sorry, i only just saw this! what's up?

[howlin-wolf-66.livejournal.com]

Of course she's going to be glad. She's his mother. Her default position will always be to see the best in him, whatever happens... Is this news?

[ananasonastick.livejournal.com]

I wanted to disagree at first but then I thought about it again.

[mrscrapbag.livejournal.com]

maybe so but that doesn't mean we can't criticise her for it.

[marsyke.livejournal.com]

I once met the mother of a convicted murderer and her life was completely ruined. She wished she never had that son. But here there is no dead body so if she believes him that it was between 2 drunk people then it's different of course