Former Sheffield United patron Charlie Webster has quit her role at the club after convicted rapist Ched Evans was invited back to train with the football team after being released from prison earlier this year.

Ched Evans / Credit: North Wales Police

Ched Evans / Credit: North Wales Police

In a controversial move the club have decided that Ched should be allowed back to work, and so Charlie has made the bold move to step down from her position, receiving huge support from women's rights campaigners.

As a survivor of sexual assault herself, Charlie has made public her disagreement with allowing Evans to play again, saying the football club had not acknowledged the extremity of his crime.

Speaking on Newsnight this week she said that her decision was made because she's of the opinion that Evans shouldn't be allowed to represent the community.

She explained: "He's not just going into a job, he's bandied as a role model and we cheer him on as a role model, and he's influencing the next generation of young men who are currently still making their decisions on how to treat women and what sexual mutual consent is".

Adding that she hopes her stepping down makes an impact, she went on to say: "I've spoken quite a few times now and now I'm here speaking to you. I'm trying to, I suppose, give victims of sexual abuse a voice because I think in this day and age, in 2014, we're a rich society - rich in education as well - and still there isn't an education on mutual consent."

Not alone in how she feels, over 150,000 people have signed an online petition demanding that Sheffield United refuse to sign him, but some fans have hit out at Charlie through social media after the news of her resignation broke.

One abusive tweeter said that Charlie was a "silly bitch" and another said "Women have no place in football".

Charlie did go on to tweet herself that the large majority of correspondence had however been positive, and noted she was "overwhelmed" because of it.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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