Ched Evans rape victim ‘abused on Twitter’

Police are investigating reports that the woman raped by Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans has been named and abused on social media sites.

It follows a complaint to North Wales Police by a leading rape charity which said the alleged comments on Twitter were “profoundly disturbing”.

Holly Dustin, director of the End Violence Against Women coalition, and Rape Crisis England and Wales, said: “It is profoundly disturbing that the victim in the Ched Evans trial has been named and abused on Twitter and other social media sites.

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“It has long been law that rape complainants are protected by lifetime anonymity and those who have named her have been reported to the police for committing a criminal offence.

“This raises serious questions about the adequacy of the criminal justice system to deal with offences that occur online and we are calling for an urgent review of laws and practices.”

A police spokeswoman said they were aware of comments made on social media sites and were collating information.

Evans, 23, was jailed for five years at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of raping the woman who was “too drunk to consent”.

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The footballer admitted having sex with the victim, then aged 19, at a hotel in north Wales last May. The woman said she had no memory of the incident and the prosecution argued she was too drunk to consent.

Evans’s co-accused, Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, 23, who also admitted having sex with the victim, was found not guilty.

Ms Dustin added: “We want to see football clubs and the Football Association take a strong stance against sexism in the sport.

“We also want the Government to take concerted action to address attitudes that condone violence.”