Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey has been accused of two counts of rape against one women and three counts against another woman. A third woman has accused him of sexual assault. He denies all the charges
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, charged with the rape of two women.
The 32-year-old, who was charged four days after leaving the north London club when his contract expired back in June, faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He is accused of two counts of rape against one woman and three counts against another. The sexual assault allegation relates to a third woman, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.
The alleged offences took place between 2021 and 2022. The Metropolitan Police said it first received reports of an allegation of rape in February 2022. Partey’s lawyer Jenny Wiltshire has previously said the Ghanaian “denies all the charges against him” – and looks forward to the chance to “finally clear his name”.
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In a statement released last month following his exit, Arsenal said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case.”
Partey’s former manager Mikel Arteta also commented on the situation as he followed up the club’s statement.
“The club was very clear in its statement,” he said. “There are a lot of legal matters that are very complicated so I cannot comment on any of that.” Quizzed further on whether he was confident the club has followed the right process he replied: “100%.”
Met Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, whose team is leading the investigation, said: “Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.
“We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk.”
Partey is currently on the verge of joining another club, Spanish La Liga side Villarreal, on a free transfer. It marks a return to Spain after previously playing for Atletico Madrid, with whom he started his career before signing for Arsenal for around £45million in 2020.
He will sign a deal with Villarreal for two years until 2027 after being linked with moves to clubs across Europe and the Middle East.
Last season he played a total of 52 games for Arsenal and was a key player under Arteta. He featured 167 times for the Gunners overall during his five years in North London.
