Ched Evans: A victim’s response

Oldham rape victim Samantha Walker-Roberts and her husband Steven both campaign for harsher sentences for sex offenders..

Steven said: “Our view is that it would be the same as allowing someone to become Prime Minister while in prison. This is a not just giving someone a job. He is a public figure who has been found guilty of rape. Ched Evans has not done his time, he is still serving his sentence out of prison.

“A professional footballer is a public icon. The message being sent out to young people is that it is absolutely fine to rape someone and show no remorse afterwards because you will still be given a lucrative deal at a professional football club.

“Sam’s attacker is also not remorseful and he has a job and is able to get on with his life.

“Yet a lot of the victims are left unable to get on with theirs. How is that fair?”