Player X. You might not know who he is. Legally, we can’t tell you who he is. As is routinely the case, he’ll be available for selection in the Premier League this weekend. Thousands watching him are none the wiser.
More than two years ago — 803 days, to be precise — player X was arrested and taken into police custody. The date was July 4, 2022, and he was detained on suspicion of rape. Three women have accused him of sexual offences against them.
The investigation into his alleged crimes has been running so long that he was bailed five times before his bail was lifted in August of last year. He remains under investigation but, to date, has never been charged. Likewise, he has never been named either.
Plenty of people know who we’re talking about, though, and he’s been targeted via the chants of opposition fans. Despite that, privacy laws in the UK mean it would be a criminal offence for The Athletic to publish anything which identifies him, or could identify him.
What we have, then, is a footballer accused of horrific offences who retains the right to anonymity and is free to continue his Premier League career. His club haven’t suspended him. Football’s authorities haven’t intervened. It’s almost as if the claims against him don’t exist.
Rule of law
The Metropolitan Police, the UK force investigating, is not attempting to hide the alleged crimes themselves. In August 2023, a statement from the constabulary outlined the bare facts:
- The player was arrested on suspicion of one incident of rape against a woman in June 2022.
- After his arrest, and while in custody, he was accused of two more incidents of rape against a different woman, occurring in April and June 2021.
- In February 2023, he was interviewed under caution about a sexual offence against a third woman, which allegedly took place in February 2022.
No meaningful update has been provided since and the police have said no further action will be taken over the 2021 allegation. The investigation into the other two complaints remains live.
Why is this so secretive?
If the anonymity of the player is confusing, there’s a reason for it. We’ve compiled a long explainer here. In the UK, arrested suspects are generally entitled to anonymity until they are formally charged. The law here is different in that respect to the law in the United States, for example.
Anybody identifying them on social media or online risks prosecution — hence why the comments section on The Athletic’s coverage of criminal matters is often closed.
If this footballer does face charges, he’ll be named. That will only happen if and when the police believe they have enough evidence to ask the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to send him to trial.
Until then, his name will remain private. It doesn’t matter if that seems unsatisfactory. It’s simply the law. And in the meantime, you could be cheering this man without any knowledge of what lies behind his public image.
— The Athletic.
TheHeraldWhistleBlower 