Manchester United has announced that footballer Mason Greenwood will not be returning to the club following the accusations against him, and the narrative that has followed is deeply problematic.
Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood was arrested in January 2022, accused of attempted rape as well as assault, and controlling and coercive behaviour, following a post on social media.
The now-deleted post included graphic images of a woman's injuries and a distressing audio clip of recorded sexual and physical threats. Greenwood denied all charges.
The alleged victim (who has the right to remain anonymous) later withdrew her cooperation, and after new material "came to light", Greenwood's charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
This week, Manchester United confirmed that they would be parting ways with the 21-year-old forward, after reports of his return prompted a major backlash.
Then Mason Greenwood posted a statement, and the entire narrative got derailed.
“I understand that people will judge me because of what they have seen and heard on social media, and I know people will think the worst," reads part of Greenwood's official statement this week. "I was brought up to know that violence or abuse is wrong, I did not do the things I was accused of, and in February I was cleared of all charges."
This statement however is not factually accurate. Greenwood's charges were dropped because key witnesses withdrew their involvement and new material came to light. At no point has Mason Greenwood been cleared of the allegations against him, and the misinformation around that is derailing the public conversation.
A "Bring back Mason Greenwood" movement is already underway on the basis of their belief that he has been found innocent. And in extreme corners of the internet, the narrative has descended into women hating, with images of the words "Fear Women" photoshopped onto Greenwood's number 10 shirt circulating online.
"Mason Greenwood [is] such a young man with a big career messed by a woman. Lesson FEAR WOMEN!", posted one user on X. Others shared memes from The Godfather, alongside the quote: "Women and children can be careless but NOT MEN! Dear Men, be careful."
There is a massive difference between a person being cleared of their charges and having their charges dropped - and that is something that anyone entering into the narrative needs to read up on.
Charges can be dropped for various circumstances, most notably insufficient evidence to prosecute the person of the crimes they are charged with - as was the case with Mason Greenwood with the key witness withdrawing cooperation. But it is important to note that having one's charges dropped is not the same as being cleared. It simply means that the case will not go forward.
Being cleared of charges however means that a judge or jury has found a defendant "not guilty" of the crime charged.
Mason Greenwood has not been cleared of his charges - he has had his charges dropped. And that is a very important distinction - particularly concerning the rehabilitation of his successful career.
When it comes to violence against women, we have seen the sporting world choose to look the other way time and time again. And athletes from Mike Tyson to Marlon King have gone on to forge successful careers, even after having been found guilty.
Mason Greenwood may not have been found guilty, but he has also technically not been found innocent. And that needs to be recognised before the narrative rewrites him as a victim and the female complainant as dangerous.
Violence against women is an epidemic in the UK, especially within the football community where domestic abuse rates have been known to surge by 38% when a team loses.
How the narrative around Greenwood plays out is therefore crucial, providing an opportunity to send a clear public message and influence millions of viewers across the world. But in order to achieve this, we have to stop allowing misinformation and harmful comments to skew the facts.
We cannot afford to have this important conversation derailed.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are worried about someone you know, contact the free 24-hour National Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. If you are in an emergency situation, please call 999.
