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Statement in Response to Raith Rovers FC U-turn

There are no doubt unanswered questions and concerns here but the Scottish public should be proud that they made the terrible decision by Raith Rovers FC untenable.

We have been so heartened to see the response from fans, sponsors, staff and the women’s football team in particular – they have proved the power of speaking out against injustice and showed that in Scotland we want there to be zero tolerance of rape and rapists.

We applaud the courage and principle of those who did the right thing, even when it came at great personal cost and was clearly very painful. We are also grateful to all who donated to Rape Crisis in protest and solidarity. These donations will be shared with the local Rape Crisis centre so that survivors who need support locally, will be able to access this as soon as possible.

This debacle has shown that there is still such a very long way to go until men’s violence against women and girls is truly treated with zero tolerance, but it has also given us hope that in Scotland we hold the values and determination to make this a reality. We know that it has meant so much to so many to see so much solidarity with survivors.