British Football Star Arrested for Rape
February 20, 2022
Footballer Mason Greenwood has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of raping a woman. Greenwood, 20, is a forward for Manchester United, one of the wealthiest clubs in the English Premier League and the world.
On January 30, Greenwood’s longtime girlfriend Harriet Robson shared images on Instagram of bruises on her legs and arms, as well as a photo of her bleeding from the mouth. She captioned the images, “To everyone who wants to know what Mason Greenwood actually does to me.” In addition to the photos, she released a recording of a conversation between her and a man, where the man insists on having sex and ignores Robson’s refusals.
That evening, Greater Manchester Police arrested Greenwood. Sky News reported that the police added further charges of sexual assault and threats to kill. Robson subsequently removed the Instagram posts of the allegations, and Greenwood has yet to make a public statement about the allegations.
A spokesperson for Manchester United made a brief statement: “We are aware of images and allegations circulating on social media. We will not make any further comment until the facts have been established. Manchester United does not condone violence of any kind.” United have since indefinitely suspended Greenwood from all training and matches.
On February 7, Greenwood’s outfitter Nike suspended their partnership with him and removed all of their products related to the footballer. A spokesperson told Reuters, “We have suspended our relationship with Mason Greenwood. We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation.” Additionally, Manchester United removed all Greenwood products from their club store, and video-game developer EA Sports removed him from products such as FIFA 22.
This has not been the first time Greenwood has been the subject of public criticism. He and English teammate Phil Foden were removed from the English national squad in 2020 for attempting to break quarantine. They were caught sneaking two Icelandic women into their hotels while on international duty and held several house parties during the lockdown.
Many people have taken to social media to express their anger at Greenwood. Manchester United fan account @UTDTrey tweeted, “Always thought I’d be watching Mason Greenwood for another decade and more but Man United have made the right decision, he must pay for his crimes.” Greenwood’s teammates have also begun to distance themselves from the player. According to Manchester Evening News, goalkeeper David De Gea unfollowed Greenwood on Instagram moments after the allegations surfaced.
Rui • Jun 1, 2023 at 2:57 PM
I like your article because it informs people that rape is a problem. I wasn’t expecting a famous soccer player to commit a bad crime. The consequences are deserved.
Keita • Jun 1, 2023 at 2:57 PM
Hi Aaryan,
I am a manchester united fan, and I remember seeing this news all over social media last year. He was one of our own, coming through from the academy and rising to become one of the upcoming star players for the next decade. I was a massive fan of mason greenwood, since his breakout season, and I even had his kit from that season. I was devasted to hear about this news, but we should have seen it coming. As you mentioned, he was also involved with trouble in the past, and this made me think that clubs, especially clubs with such a high reputation, like Manchester United, to not only develop young players as footballers but also as people. This also made me remember that at the end of the day, these people are normal people and are not perfect.
Recently, it has been reported that the charges against Mason Greenwood have been dropped, and there are also rumours that the victim, Harriet Robson is now pregnant with Mason Greenwood. There has also been reports that Mason Greenwood could be back to playing football professionally rightfully so, due to being innocent by law in the UK. In my opinion, I really miss the player Mason Greenwood, but there is a big part of me that believes that he should never play for my team ever again. However, I know his outstanding ability on the football pitch, so I also do not want to see him ball out on another team.
I feel that this case should be a wake-up call for youth teams and football academies to make sure they develop the players as a person, not just for their footballing ability.
Keita H
Tyler • Jun 1, 2023 at 8:57 AM
Mason Greenwood, such a young talented player, but a completely different person in the shadows. When hearing about this news, I was disappointed in the young footballer. I think what he did was undeniably unprofessional and that the actions taken on the situation were definitely deserved.
Sevi Wagner • Jun 1, 2023 at 8:51 AM
This article is very informative about the situation regarding Mason Greenwood. Manchester United and Nike did the right thing by cutting relationships and suspending him from the club. I always liked the way Greenwood played as he was a fast-paced striker scoring goals in almost every game in the 21-22 season, I miss the player, not the person.
Serena • May 31, 2023 at 10:45 AM
I found this piece to be interesting since I have a lot of interest in topics that have to do with sports. Even though I knew rape was a problem worldwide, I didn’t know professional athletes had contributed to this problem. The information about his past actions in the last part of the article added a nice touch, and I enjoyed reading it!
Alice Phillips • May 31, 2023 at 10:44 AM
Reading this article knocked me back into reality. I realized how things aren’t always what they seem like. I know rape is an issue but a professional athlete being accused of rape is something I haven’t really heard of and reminds me of reality.