Attempts by Ched Evans to resurrect his soccer career were quashed on Saturday night after the British government stepped in to prevent the convicted rapist plying his trade overseas.
The intervention by the Ministry of Justice followed an announcement on Friday by Maltese side Hibernians that they had offered the former Sheffield United forward a deal for the remainder of the season.
As speculation mounted that the 26-year-old was preparing to rehabilitate his career on the Mediterranean island, the ministry issued a statement clarifying that, as a convicted sex offender on license, Evans was barred from working abroad.
Earlier, women’s groups on Malta had pledged to hold a meeting this week to discuss the arrival of Evans.
The Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations said the issue was sensitive and that they faced problems with attitudes to sexual violence against women on the island.
Pressure on Hibernians to withdraw its offer to Evans, 26, escalated throughout Saturday, with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat warning that the club’s decision risked harming the reputation of the island, which relies largely on tourism.
However, Evans’ latest apparent attempt to get back into soccer was — even before the ministry’s statement — shrouded in mystery, with the striker’s spokesperson dismissing the Maltese link as fabricated just hours after Hibernians officials confirmed they had offered him a deal and that supporters were “waiting for him minute by minute to come here.”
Evans, a Wales international, is keen to return to soccer after being released from prison in October last year. He had been found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in 2011.
In November last year, Evans saw an offer to train with Sheffield United — sponsored by the Malta Tourism Authority between 2008 and 2011 — withdrawn following fierce local opposition. A petition opposing to Evans’ return attracted 160,000 signatures, while Tranmere Rovers, Oldham Athletic and Hartlepool United also turned down the chance to sign him.
The thwarted move by Hibernians, who are 15 points clear at the top of the country’s domestic league, again highlighted the controversy that surrounds Evans and his attempts to get back into the sport.
Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations chairperson Lorraine Spiteri said sexual violence on Malta is a sensitive issue and there remain deep-rooted attitudes that need to be addressed.
“There are still some cultures to change and we are working on them: there is the police culture, the patriarchal culture, the masculine culture — these are all ingrained in our Maltese tradition,” Spiteri said.
Incidents of rape are not recorded on Malta; the issue is a key theme for women’s rights campaigners, who say that the island lacked an easily accessible rape crisis center until last year.
Reports indicated that Paola-based Hibernians, whose stadium holds 3,000 compared with the 20,000 who used to watch Evans at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane, had spoken to Evans’ agent and offered him a contract for the rest of the season.
The development prompted the Maltese prime minister to tweet: “Footballers are role models. Hibs decision will define them + to an extent Malta.”
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