Hibernians FC’s attempt to attract a former Sheffield United striker convicted of rape was scuppered yesterday evening after the British Justice Ministry declared he could not work abroad in light of his crime.

The statement came at the end of a day that had seen the Paola club in the eye of a UK media storm after news emerged late on Friday that the club was attempting to sign up Ched Evans for the rest of the season.

The controversial move provoked conflicting reactions over whether a convicted rapist should be given the opportunity to resume his footballing career.

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici caught the imagination of Sky News which throughout the day ran his tweet: “Ched Evans should be given a second chance. If we believe in rehabilitation of ex-prisoners we should practise what we preach,” Dr Bonnici tweeted.

However, within half an hour the Prime Minister took to Twitter urging Hibs to reconsider their position.

He paid for what he did, for us it’s not an issue

“The club’s decision will not only define them but also to an extent Malta’s image internationally. I hope management understand this clearly before final decision,” he said.

British Justice Ministry shows red card to Evans’ Malta move

Mr Evans was a rising star for Sheffield United and Wales until he was convicted of raping a 19-year-old woman who was deemed too drunk to consent to sex. He was released from prison last October, little less than half way through his five-year sentence.

Sheffield United initially indicated they might take him back but the move fuelled a massive public outcry, which included a petition signed by 160,000 people.

Undeterred, Hibs, who currently lead the Maltese premier league by 15-points, saw an opportunity to secure the striker at a “cut price” as it was put by club sponsor Stephen Vaughan.

The club’s technical director Jeffrey Farrugia went one step further, describing Mr Evans to Sky News as a “glorious” player who in Malta would be spared the sort of controversy he faces in the UK.

“There won’t be anything of this at our club,” he said. “And I can’t understand sometimes how English football, English clubs, think about all these things. He paid for what he did, for us it’s not an issue,” he said, adding that supporters were waiting for Mr Evans “minute by minute”.

In comments to The Sunday Times of Malta, he changed his tone slightly, saying the club as such had made no commitment and that the matter would still have to be decided by the club president and executive committee.

Speaking through his son, Ranier, club president Tony Bezzina sounded a more cautious tone, saying that in making a decision the club would have “to consider its social responsibilities”.

“So far our sponsor Stephen Vaughan put an offer on the table to the other side but there isn’t a decision by our executive committee or by myself. Up to this point, it’s just speculation,” he said.

However, it appears the decision was taken out of the club’s hands last night. Since he has not served his full term in jail, Mr Evans is on licence which, the UK Justice Ministry said, meant that as a convicted sex offender he could not work abroad.

“We are determined to have one of the toughest regimes in the world for managing sex offenders, to stop them from re-offending and to protect victims,” the ministry said.

One needs to acknowledge the huge influence that athletes and football players have on society

“Probation officers must give permission for sex offenders on licence to take up new jobs and this includes ensuring that they hold face to face meetings – this effectively rules out working abroad.”

Several people contacted by this newspaper yesterday nothing wrong with the club bidding for Mr Evans.

Nationalist Party Home Affairs spokesman Jason Azzopardi, who happens to be Hibs’ honorary president, supported the Justice Minister’s comments, saying the man should not be made to pay for his mistake for life.

He made his point by recalling a recent friendly charity football match that politicians had played against prisoners.

“That game took place under the patronage of the President. We cannot one day pat ourselves on the back and make statements about prisoner reform and then go back on those statements when something like this comes up,” he said.

Of similar view were Malta Football Association president Norman Darmanin Demajo and former Hibs technical director and veteran sports commentator Fr Hillary Tagliaferro.

“Yes football players have to be role models but people make mistakes and, without knowing anything of the details of this man’s case, I feel that in principle nobody deserves to be condemned for life,” Fr Tagliaferro said.

Dr Darmanin Demajo argued that the club was not proposing to put someone convicted for abusing minors in a nursery.

“If he has been released, I take it that he is not a danger to society… he paid his dues and therefore I cannot find it in me to keep condemning him for life,” the MFA boss said.

The voice of dissent came from Roberta Lepre, director of the NGO Victims Support Malta.

She said convicts should be given the opportunity and support to reintegrate into society after taking “full responsibility for the harm imposed on others” but added that Mr Evans does not appear to have shown any remorse, let alone “taken action to repair such harm on both the victim and society”.

“This aspect has been completely ignored by the club which is offering to sign up the said player,” she said, pointing out that instead, the club’s technical director Jeffrey Farrugia was quoted referring to Mr Evans as a “glorious” player.

“I believe that one needs to acknowledge the huge influence that athletes and football players have on society, particularly boys and men. We feel it would have been more appropriate to offer to sign up the player on condition that he publicly apologises to the victim. It is important to send out the message that if a person cannot say yes to sexual activity, it means ‘No’,” Dr Lepre said.

The story created a storm on social media, even prompting Scottish club Hibernian to clarify it had nothing to do with the matter.

The Scottish Championship side tweeted: “Just to clarify, we are #Hibs of Scotland and not #Hibernians of Malta. Should that ever change we’ll let you all know.”

At least there was a funny side to this story.

Times Talk will be discussing the Ched Evans issue on Tuesday at 6.55pm on TVM.