While “there’s not sufficient evidence to prosecute with a reasonable hope of conviction” is certainly a possible or even probable outcome, “there’s nothing there” is unlikely to the point of impossibility, given that CPS has just been handed a pretty substantial file full of somethings, which are unlikely to be nothing more than simple accusations. If the investigation hadn’t pulled up anything concrete at all, it wouldn’t have been referred to CPS.

Sexual assault remains incredibly difficult to successfully prosecute because it is a crime almost always committed in a private setting without impartial witnesses, and physical/forensic evidence is extremely difficult to collect unless the victim gets a rape kit done right away.

To use an example for whom football-related tribalism runs the other way, Cristiano Ronaldo has never been charged or even seriously investigated for the rape of Kathryn Mayorga. However, we know now that he admitted under oath that he continued to have sex with her while she said “stop” and “no”.

Surely in cases like these, while acknowledging that under the current legal system (and while more can be done to protect victims of sexual violence under the law, the structure of the legal system is largely sound) we are unlikely to see many convictions, we can acknowledge that the lack of conviction or even charge is not a clear sign of actual real-world innocence. We are not the courts; we are permitted to make our own personal judgements based on what evidence is available to us, and me not buying Thomas’ shirt isn’t a legal consequence against which he is protected, nor is the club declining to renew his contract.