Women’s Aid commends Manchester United’s decision to terminate Mason Greenwood’s contract

The Charity Women’s Aid has welcomed Manchester United’s decision not to welcome Mason Greenwood back into the squad.

The young forward was arrested in January, 2022 following accusations of attempting rape, assault, among others. He was later suspended by Manchester United on the day of his arrest. However, in February, the Crown Prosecution Services dropped all charges against him after the “key witnesses withdrew their statement and new material came to light.”

Soon after the development of this news, earlier this year, the Club initiated an internal investigation, the outcome of which would determine Greenwood‘s future in the club. However, on August 21, the club released a statement, announcing the mutual termination of Greenwood’s contract with the club.

The decision has divided the fans on internet with many welcoming this decision including former Premier League striker, Gary Linekar.

The Charity Women’s Aid also reacted to the club’s statement and expressed their happiness at the decision. They also stated that many domestic and sexual abusers will be relieved by the exit of the forward.

A spokeswoman representing the organization said:

“We know that today’s news from Manchester United that Greenwood will be moving on from the club will be a relief for many survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.

“Football is loved by so many people worldwide, and players are often idolised by fans, so the way that alleged domestic abuse cases are treated in clubs has a huge impact on public understanding about what is accepted and tolerated in society.

“We have heard first-hand the impact this case and the related materials shared on social media have had on survivors of abuse, and while next steps are established following the outcome of Manchester United’s internal investigation, this will happen away from centre stage of Old Trafford.

“With many survivors never contacting the police to report abuse in the first place, and the majority of domestic and sexual abuse cases not resulting in a criminal conviction, it is vital that clubs – like all employers – have an approach that is wider than the criminal justice system, and which deals with the reality of the scale of the issue.

“This needs to involve addressing the attitudes that underpin domestic and sexual abuse, and working with players from a young age to make it clear that clubs stand against sexism and misogyny. This is an issue that reaches far wider than football, with misogynistic content widely available on social media, so it is important to recognise how widespread harmful attitudes are and address this.”

Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold had earlier faced severe backlash due to a few leaks suggesting he was instrumental in wanting to include Greenwood back into the team. Following the decision, Arnold himself released a statement which can be read here.