When the announcement came last Thursday that criminal proceedings against Mason Greenwood, the Manchester United forward and England international, had been discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), it raised many questions.
A CPS spokesperson told The Athletic that charges had been dropped because “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case.”
While Greenwood has not been proven guilty, nor has he been cleared.
The 21-year-old was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He has not played for United since his initial arrest in January 2022 and the club are conducting their own internal investigation.
Over the last week, thousands of words have been written and spoken about Greenwood’s future. We’ve seen discussions focusing on his lost sponsorships, where else he could play if United decide to cut ties and the reduced wages he might have to take to continue his career elsewhere.
But among the various views and opinions, there has been a (collective) voice largely missing from the…
