Somehow one doubts it - a 26 year old woman has made the claim.

Why do I suspect this is just another false allegation?

I'm probably too cynical (but why do I wonder whether Max Clifford will be representing the poor raped woman?).

I did warn about false allegations when they happened to me 7 years ago.

If he IS found innocent, I do hope she will be prosecuted.

Ha ha - if found guilty she'll be fined

It's very contradictory of you to jump to conclusions without any facts whatsoever, the very thing that angers you so regularly when commited against you.

This madness must stop. The police must first build up a cast iron case before releasing a suspects name into the public realm. The other cases that spring to mind on this front (that had the most devastating impact) were concerning John Leslie and that poor chap (who had the online avatar of "the bishop") who helped the prostitutes of Ipswich but was instead arrested in a blaze of media fervour, having his life hung-drawn-and-quartered in the process, despite being quite innocent.

And JK is quite right, anyone who makes false allegations must be prosecuted. We need to send a message to them, and fast. And certainly we need an antidote to the media spun kiss-and-tell culture which spins this particular hamsters wheel.

easiest job in the world to get someone relatively famous, spend 5 minutes with them and then create a fantasy for attention (and financial gain)

and why oh why do they name suspects so early? He's not even been charged.

However, I am surprised she has accused an unknown footballer, why not go for Ronaldo or Rooney.

It just disgusts me, and why have they disclosed this information to the media, surely they shouldn't do that.

Oh sorry I forgot, guilty until proved innocent.

Fair point Godiver but my point is - we should not be able to smear, assume, denigrate and ruin lives before people are charged AND convicted.

Even then, facts are hard to find.

But if the "victims" can be anonymous, surely the accused must be given that privilege too.

Now, of course, other slappers may come forward and say those famous words "ME TOO".

Well, at least with a 19 year old they cannot say something happened 40 years ago.

I've not heard of Johnny Evans until this afternoon. Not good enough to make Mancester Utd's first team, it does seem odd that the girl would make false allegations against a little known about footballer, a reserve no less. But of course false allegations against unknowns occurr all the time.

Mike Willis wrote:
However, I am surprised she has accused an unknown footballer, why not go for Ronaldo or Rooney.

I suppose because they are so high profile, everybody wants a piece of them, and they would have an alibi at any given time at a Christmas party.

It is likely the young woman did spend time alone with Evans. Rape? False accusation? Or some blurry alcohol fuelled liaison which would fall somewhere in-between the two? Who knows, but maybe we shouldn't be making any assumptions at this stage.

I do agree it is a disgrace that the footballer's name should be released so soon, or even at all, but on the other hand how would it be possible to keep it a secret when the person in question is on Man Utd's books?

The girl allegedly went to the party with her boyfriend. She disappeared for a while, and when she returned was confronted by her boyfriend, who wanted to know where she'd been. She said that she'd been raped in one of the hotel bedrooms....

What was she doing in the bedroom in the first place?

Hmmm....