Over 100,000 sign petition demanding rapist Ched Evans not be re-signed by Sheffield Utd
Posted Sunday, October 12, 2014 by Dailystar.co.uk
THE PETITION demanding rapist footballer Ched Evans not to be taken back by Sheffield United has passed the 100,000 mark.
RAPIST: Over 100,000 people have put their name to a petition calling on Sheffield United NOT to re-sign Ched Evans
Evans was jailed for five years in April, 2012, for raping a 19-year-old woman at a hotel.
Both his girlfriend and PFA chairman Gordon Taylor have said the 25-year-old should be allowed to play again.
But Jean Hatchet, who launched the online petition, said: "I'm sure he and his supporters are hoping he can quietly slip back into the position of privilege he held before.
"Unfortunately, he still hasn't acknowledged he is a rapist as determined by a judge and jury.
"He will be returning, if Sheffield Utd re-sign him, to a position where he has huge influence over young fans.
"We need to send a clear message: if you rape a woman you will have to pay a price. A lucrative contract should not be your 'reward'."
Last month Evans' partner Natasha Massey, who has been dating the Welshman for over four years, said she is keen to see him back on the pitch.
"All Ched wants to do is go back to work, do the job he loves and then just come home and have a family life," she said in an open letter.
SUPPORT: Natasha Massey and Evans have been together for over four years
"When I found out he had cheated, that was absolutely devastating. But I never for a second thought he was guilty of the charge.
"It's personal between Ched and myself. We worked through it together as a couple. Now it's about clearing his name.
"At the time I was devastated, I was heartbroken. It wasn't nice for the whole world to know that my boyfriend had sex with another woman but I stood by Ched and still do."
The co-chairman of Sheffield United has said the club is yet to make a decision on whether they are willing to re-sign Evans but the decision would be made at a boardroom level.
He said: "There are different sides on this and we are no different from everyone else, we feel the whole set of issues.
"People expect we will make this decision for football reasons but this is a special case.
"A decision will be made first about the brand and then we will leave the football decision to the football side of things."
Evans has been capped 31 times by Wales and was voted in the PFA League One team of the year in 2012 just days after being convicted.
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