It has been a foul few years for footballers as position fashions. A number of footballers up to now 12 months have been charged, or accused of varied heinous offences like rape, sexual assault, drunk driving, and extra. Be it, Benjamin Mendy of Manchester Metropolis, Mason Greenwood of Manchester United, or the unnamed Premier League footballer accused of assault, soccer’s ugly underbelly has been a nightmare expertise for followers. Jack Diamond of Sunderland FC, on mortgage at Lincoln Metropolis, has had his identify added to this checklist now.
What’s the Jack Diamond case?
Northumbria Police, in a press release revealed on Thursday, mentioned that Sunderland’s Jack Diamond has been charged with one depend of rape and one depend of sexual assault.
The costs stem from an investigation launched in Could of final 12 months after the report was acquired then. A lady informed the police final Could that she had been sexually assaulted by the footballer “inside an handle within the Washington space”.
Under is the complete assertion of Northumbria Police:
“In Could final 12 months, we acquired a report {that a} girl had been sexually assaulted inside an handle within the Washington space.
“An investigation was instantly launched and a person was subsequently arrested.
“Jack Diamond, 23, of Fatfield, Washington, has now been charged with one depend of rape and one depend of sexual assault and is because of seem at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court docket in Could.”
A spokesperson for Jack Diamond has mentioned that the footballer “strenuously denies the allegations made towards him” and is “trying ahead to clearing his identify within the court docket”.
What occurs subsequent with Jack Diamond?
Whereas Diamond will seem in Magistrates’ Court docket in Could, being formally charged has brought on the golf equipment to leap into motion. His mum or dad membership, Sunderland, suspended him with quick impact “pending the end result of the judicial course of”.
In the meantime, Lincoln Metropolis, the place the participant was on mortgage, have terminated the deal efficient instantly.
Right here’s the assertion from Sunderland in full:
“Sunderland AFC has been notified that legal prices have been introduced towards Jack Diamond by the Crown Prosecution Service.
“The participant has been suspended with quick impact, pending the end result of the judicial course of, and his mortgage settlement at Lincoln Metropolis Soccer Membership has additionally been terminated.
“As this matter is topic to a authorized course of, the membership is not going to be making any additional assertion at the moment.”
There are unlikely to be additional developments within the case until the participant seems in Magistrates’ Court docket in Could.
Instances bringing disrepute to the sport
The checklist of legal footballers will not be a brand new one. Many footballers earlier have additionally been charged with numerous offences, some even indicted.
Nevertheless, the latest surge in such instances has introduced a whole lot of undesirable consideration to the sport. Benjamin Mendy stays suspended by Manchester Metropolis after being accused of a number of rapes and sexual assaults.
Mason Greenwood’s state of affairs has saved Manchester United in a tough predicament the place the costs on him didn’t stick however the data relating to the case within the public area makes it onerous for the membership to start the reconciliation.
Whereas these two instances, together with Jack Diamond now are those the place the identify of the footballer has turn out to be public, there have been instances of unnamed PL gamers which nonetheless search decision.
All of this has shed undesirable mild on the sport and sparked a debate about footballers as position fashions. Whereas there are inspirational figures within the recreation, like Marcus Rashford, who’ve used their platform to carry happiness to thousands and thousands, such instances drive the sport to take two steps again.
