Former Arsenal player and Ghana international Thomas Partey, who is currently without a club, has been charged in London with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. The trial is set to begin soon.
Thomas Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for €50 million and made 167 appearances for the Gunners. The midfielder struggled with injuries on and off, but when he was fit, he was one of the players that coach Mikel Arteta counted on. The Ghanaian’s contract expired in the summer, and since no agreement could be reached on a new deal, Partey has been officially without a club since Tuesday.
However, the search for a new club is likely to be extremely complicated for the 32-year-old, as the British judiciary announced on Friday that the Ghanaian international has been charged in the UK with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. According to the charges, three women have filed complaints against Partey.
Prosecutors do not seek public prejudgment
“After careful consideration of a comprehensive file of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has today authorized the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape,” Jaswant Narwal, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service, told the BBC. “Our prosecutors have worked closely with Metropolitan Police officers who conducted the investigation to review the evidence and advise on the appropriate charges.”
At the same time, Narwal explicitly emphasized “that this is an ongoing criminal investigation and that the defendant has the right to a fair trial.” The judiciary is also aware “that there will be significant public interest,” but it is of the utmost importance “that no reports, comments, or information are published online that could prejudice these proceedings in any way.”
Partey wants to “clear his name”
Partey is alleged to have committed the crimes between 2021 and 2022, and police investigations have been ongoing since February 2022, according to a statement from the London Metropolitan Police. The case is now going to court, with the trial against the former Gunner set to start on August 5 in the British capital London.
Partey’s lawyers have already stated on behalf of their client that he “denies all allegations against him.” Furthermore, he “cooperated fully” with the police during the investigation, emphasized lawyer Jenny Wiltshire: “He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.”
