Klaus wrote:

Coombs: Yeah, fair enough.

I don't know why McDonald was aquitted, but it looks like he got off on a technicality more than anything else. The fact that he was let go implies a lack of evidence rather than a lack of guilt. It's hard to convict people of rape. It's so hard that a huge amount of rape cases don't even go to trial, and among those that do get prosecuted there's a large percent where the offender is let go because of a lack of evidence. Contrary to what most people say the burden of proof is on the girl. This is not something she came up with just for the hell of it, and she doesn't deserve abuse on Facebook and Twitter from all those senseless scumbags who imply that it was open street for Evans since she was too drunk to fully resist. McDonald and Evans didn't meet her at some party where they chatted and eventually ended up in bed. McDonald went out looking for a victim too intoxicated to resist, found one at a kebab shop and took her to a hotel, and then called Evans who drove all the way over to have sex with her. There are no mitigating circumstances here. They're just scum.

In every reality I completely agree with you. I'm just afraid of the law in general, so I suppose I always question it's decisions. I like it to be clear what I am allowed to do and what I am not allowed to do, and I especially don't appreciate it when they keep details secret.

The anonymity of the victim thing is often the reason the public don't get details. I think it does a disservice to the victim. Firstly, the victim should be encouraged to not feel ashamed as they have nothing to be ashamed of, and secondly it twists public perception and leaves us to speculation, which someone who was truthfully wronged should never actively want. If you are hit with a 5-iron in a back alley they report your name. Should be the same.

Coombs wrote:

In every reality I completely agree with you. I'm just afraid of the law in general, so I suppose I always question it's decisions. I like it to be clear what I am allowed to do and what I am not allowed to do, and I especially don't appreciate it when they keep details secret.

Sure, but the law does not equal drunken sex with rape. It just states that being vulnerable through consumption of alcohol and drugs does not imply consent. It shouldn't matter whether it's a wife, a girlfriend or a complete stranger in that sense.

Coombs wrote:

The anonymity of the victim thing is often the reason the public don't get details. I think it does a disservice to the victim. Firstly, the victim should be encouraged to not feel ashamed as they have nothing to be ashamed of, and secondly it twists public perception and leaves us to speculation, which someone who was truthfully wronged should never actively want. If you are hit with a 5-iron in a back alley they report your name. Should be the same.

It's easy to sit here and say but these things wreck lives. It's hard enough going through both a preliminary and a trial where you need to testify in front of a lot of people. At the end of the day it's not up to the public to pass judgment. That's why we have a legal system. There should always be transparancy but not at the expense of the people who have already been victimised.

Also, as evidenced by the scum on Twitter there are always a couple who can't reconcile with the verdict. Especially in a case like this. It would be downright irresponsible to make her name public and tell her that there's nothing to be ashamed or afraid of when reality proves otherwise.

That's just the thing, though. People say things on Twitter, and other people become confused, seeing the possibility of some kind of fact in what they're saying. With no response from the other side, no clarification of what occurred, how does the victim have a voice?

Just think that the taboo of rape hurts the victim more in the end. It's not a special crime, its another horribly hurtful thing that people do to each other, and transparency is only going to help in the end, as with almost everything else. The legal system is supposed to be a representation of the public. How can it be if the public is unaware as to its workings?

EDIT: Just want to add how great this forum is. Arsenal really does have the best/smartest fans.

Yeah my only issue is that if she doesn't remember a thing it's rather harsh to just assume she didn't consent at all.

As I said I've seen too many girls who clearly consent to sex while intoxicated and claim rape the morning after in spite of not remembering a thing. It's happened to several friends and it has made me very skeptical of that type of situation.

Hopefully there was conclusive evidence proving ched's ill-intentions.

I think we just live in an age where if there's no hard physical evidence we're all naturally pretty sceptical and find it hard to apportion guilt. When you step back and consider everything, even the little that's been made publically available, it's pretty easy IMHO to see that Ched Evans is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in this case.

How much did the girl have to drink?

Says in one of those articles although it's a little unclear. She claims it wasn't more than 'usual'.

I seen it said she'd had "wine and a shot and something else" but it didn't say how much of each.

I'll have to admit I am pretty sceptical in such cases. She was drunk and he met her at a chipper and he brought her back to the hotel. She then agreed to have sex with him and his mate (according to them and no one can say they're lying because she doesn't remember). Then Evans goes to jail but the other guy doesn't and the main piece of evidence seems to be that she stumbled at one stage.

I just don't know where the line is. I mean she was able to speak so she could say no right?

I have no idea what actually happened because I wasn't there but some rape cases just turn out to be a he said/she said case and it's up to the jury to decide who's telling the truth and nobody outside of the girl, Evans and the other footballer will know what actually happened inside of that hotel room.

Each of them gave their account of events and now Evans is in jail

Just goes to show that you shouldn't go out and pick up drunk girls on a night out because you have no idea what she will say the morning after.

Too many guys have had their lives ruined by false rape allegations.

Too many girls have been raped after they've had something to drink or been drugged on a night out.

She had quite a bit to drink, but they also found cocaine and cannabis in her system, which she has no recollection of taking.

It's obviously a murky, complex case, but the systematic nature of what occurred—booking the room in advance, texting to signal she'd been picked up, the weirdo hangers-on watching outside—is pretty damning among other things, and the apparent degree of preparation lends some credence to the idea that she was dosed.

These kind of situations put a complete stop to my youthful endeavours. Things happened that scared me to bits. And put me so clear off alcohol.

it's pretty obvious what happened. she got drunk. had sex with a footballer. another footballer joined in. she now regrets her slutty behavior and cries rape. dumb courts go along, to some degree, with this bullshit.

You really hate women dont you Kel?

Mummy not hug you enough? Or too much? 😆

Kel Varnsen wrote:

it's pretty obvious what happened. she got drunk. had sex with a footballer. another footballer joined in. she now regrets her slutty behavior and cries rape. dumb courts go along, to some degree, with this bullshit.

Except she didn't cry rape. 😆

Read...

😆 We should make Kel the OMIT commissioner for womens rights.

Timbo wrote:

You really hate women dont you Kel?

Mummy not hug you enough? Or too much? 😆

i don't hate them. i find them amusing. i do however find western society's surrender to feminist myths ridiculous.

most rape charges are bullshit. hysterical women regretting their drunken behavior.

If you're a feminist you wouldn't believe this stuff on face value anyway. Feminism is about equality, not wrapping women up in cotton wool and expecting less than you would from men.

qs! wrote:

If you're a feminist you wouldn't believe this stuff on face value anyway. Feminism is about equality, not wrapping women up in cotton wool and expecting less than you would from men.

no it's not. don't be naive. feminism is about promoting women's rights. not equality. which is for instance why you won't see women in the us fighting to get rid of alimony...

Bit like explaining progressive taxation in terms of tales of Robin Hood.