Bristol Rovers President apologises to fans for response to Barton arrest
A club statement put out on Monday appeared to suggest domestic abuse is a "victimless crime"
Last updated 27th Jul 2021
The President of Bristol Rovers has put out a lengthy statement saying any individual found guilty of domestic violence will be dismissed immediately, after manager Joey Barton was charged with assaulting a woman.
Barton appeared in court on Monday (26/07) accused of attacking a woman at a house in London on June 2.
He pleaded not guilty and on Monday night Rovers put out a statement calling the incident a "victimless crime".
A significant number of fans online have been condemning both Barton and the club as a whole for the saga.
Now, Club President Wael Al Qadi has written an open letter to fans apologising.
"The past four days have been tough for us all and I have seen first-hand that there is division within the fanbase which is not what we want heading into a new season," his letter reads.
"Firstly, I think it is really important to confirm that as a club we stand firmly against any form of violence.
"Any individual that is found guilty of any such offences will be dismissed immediately.
"I understand the concerns expressed by a number of you.
"However, in line with the basic principles of British law, it is my view that you are innocent until proven guilty."
Al Qadi adds that he understands the response to the statement referring to the alleged assault as a "victimless crime".
"Given that this is a legal matter, what we can and can’t say as a club is heavily restricted," the letter continues.
"That said, I think it is important that some context is given to the comment regarding victimless crimes as I know that has caused some distress.
"The phrase is a legal term referring to cases in which the victim is either unknown or has not made a complaint/engaged with the police enquiries.
"We in no way meant to belittle charges of domestic abuse.
"I know that this may have been misinterpreted in the statement last night and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone that was offended."
The response from fans to this latest statement has been largely positive, but many have suggested such a message should have been put out days ago.
On Monday the club confirmed Barton was taking some "personal time" to be with his family and that Clint Hill would lead the team in his absence.
If you want to read Al Qadi's open letter in full, you can do so here.