Complaints making allegations about Thomas Partey were raised with Arsenal, the FA, and Premier League 'almost a YEAR' before he was arrested, it is claimed
Thomas Partey was first arrested in July 2022 and was charged last week
The Telegraph claims Arsenal, the FA, and PL were aware of complaints in 2021
LISTEN: Was Paul Pogba doomed from the start at Man United? The team discuss his long-awaited return to football on the back of his free transfer to Monaco
Complaints about Thomas Partey were flagged with Arsenal, the FA, and the Premier League almost a year before his arrest, according to The Telegraph.
Partey was last week charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault and is accused of attacking three women between 2021 and 2022.
He was first arrested in July 2022 but The Telegraph claims to have seen definitive evidence that Arsenal, the FA, and the Premier League were aware of concerns as early as September 2022.
Reportedly, no formal investigation was launched in the wake of that, because they fell outside the FA's safeguarding responsibility for adults and minors 'at risk' in the sport.
According to the FA's safeguarding framework, their strategy involves 'ensuring safeguarding, child protection and adult at risk concerns are investigated swiftly and thoroughly in conjunction with statutory agencies – and with demonstrable outcomes.'
But the FA, having discussed the situation with Arsenal, told the potential witnesses that they fell outside its remit, as per The Telegraph.
Complaints about Thomas Partey were reportedly raised almost a year before his arrest
They were flagged to Arsenal, the FA, and the Premier League in September 2021, according to The Telegraph
The 32-year-old is accused of attacking three women between 2021 and 2022
The FA are the first point of contact for safeguarding issues, while the Premier League does not have the power to make initial decisions.
Mail Sport has contacted Arsenal and the FA for comment. The Premier League chose not to comment due to the live nature of proceedings.
The charges against Partey follow a three year investigation by Scotland Yard and came just five days after his Arsenal contract expired on June 30.
He is currently without a club after five Premier League seasons at the Emirates.
The Ghanaian international midfielder is accused of five counts of rape. Two counts of rape relate to one woman and three counts of rape relate to a second woman.
The one count of sexual assault relates to a third woman. None of the alleged victims can be named. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5.
The Crown Prosecution Service has said the charges came after it 'carefully reviewed a comprehensive file of evidence'.
Partey 'denies all the charges against him' and 'welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name', his lawyer said this afternoon.
Partey left Arsenal at the end of June upon expiry of his contract after five seasons with them
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation into Thomas Partey began in February 2022 after officers first received a report of rape.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
He played more than 50 games for Arsenal while on bail, it has emerged.
In a statement, his lawyer Jenny Wiltshire, of Hickman and Rose, said: 'Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him.
'He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation.
'He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.
'Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.'
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'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Police and crime commissioner apologises for ‘dead bodies' claim
A police and crime commissioner has apologised for claiming that multiple human remains have been found in woodland at the centre of a murder investigation. Alison Hernandez told a meeting of the Devon and Cornwall police and crime panel that 'dead bodies' had been found in woodland at Sticker, near St Austell, and investigations were ongoing to establish exactly how many. Devon and Cornwall Police said in response the body of one man had been recovered from woods and no other remains had been found. Police and forensic experts have been carrying out extensive inquiries in the woodland since the discovery of the body of 43-year-old Daniel Coleman. James Desborough, 39, is accused of murdering Mr Coleman, from St Austell, on a date between June 2 and July 7. He is due back before Truro Crown Court next month. In her apology, Ms Hernandez said: 'In trying to be helpful I responded to an operational question at the police and crime panel, however, I was not fully up to date with the facts of the investigation. 'I apologise for any alarm this may have caused. 'The police have operational primacy over these matters. 'Any investigation will unfold rapidly and I was not in possession of all the facts at that time.' Devon and Cornwall Police rejected Ms Hernandez's claims, with Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft saying: 'We currently have three separate murder investigations being conducted in the Cornwall area. 'I have oversight of all of these investigations at this time, and can confirm they are being carried out independently of each other and are not believed to be linked. 'I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker. 'No other remains have been located at this scene to date.' Police are also investigating the discovery of the body of Lee Hockey, 50, who was found in another woodland between Truro and Probus on July 1. A third murder inquiry is under way following a fatal fire at a residential property in Newquay on July 22. The body of a man in his 30s was found in the property, with a 33-year-old man from Bolton was arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Sun
5 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lionesses' fans flock to Basel to cheer on team in Euros final – as pubs prepare for bumper day
ENGLAND fans have flocked to Basel to roar on the Lionesses against Spain tomorrow — while millions at home will also be willing our girls to lift the Euro trophy for the second time in a row. Sarina Wiegman 's warriors have the perfect opportunity to avenge their crushing World Cup final defeat by Spain two years ago, and the nation is gearing up for the big match — guaranteeing a bumper day for pubs and supermarkets across the country. 3 Asda expects to sell at least six million pints of beer, 1.3 million bags of crisps and 300,000 pizzas, while a million extra pints will be sold in pubs, giving a huge boost to the economy. The bookies are in for a bonanza too, as in betting terms the match is set to be the biggest in the history of the women's game. England are the underdogs, with their odds currently at 2/1, but 80 per cent of punters are betting on them winning. Coral's John Hill said: 'We are seeing one-way traffic for the Lionesses in our betting, despite them being underdogs. "They have overcome the odds a few times in Switzerland, so the bookmakers are staring down the barrel at a bumper payout should they win.' England fans arriving at Basel Airport yesterday were convinced their heroines can triumph. Women's football consultant Andrea Ekblad, from St Albans, Herts, said: 'I was at the final at Wembley when they won the Euros in 2022. 'I'm superstitious, so I'm wearing the shirt I wore in 2022 — hopefully that helps them win.' Ava Lambert, 16, of Chelmsford, Essex, said: 'I've been watching all the games at home so I'm really pleased to be here for the final. 'Good luck England, you can do it.' England Lionesses press conference ahead of Euro 2025 final vs Spain 3
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Martin reveals long-held desire to link up with Crystal Palace ace as Rangers boss hopes to bring winger to Ibrox
Rangers boss Russell Martin has admitted he is a long-time admirer of potential transfer target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Martin confirmed his interest in the Crystal Palace winger after it was revealed the Ibrox club have made an enquiry about taking the 22-year-old on loan with a possible option to buy. Rak-Sakyi has played 10 first-team games for Palace, and scored seven goals in 36 appearances for Sheffield United on loan last season. The England Under-21 international previously hit 15 goals during a season-long loan with Charlton. When asked about the reports, former Southampton manager Martin told Sky Sports News: 'There's a lot of players we'll be linked with. Some wide of the mark, some very close and some spot-on. 'He's a player I liked at Southampton, we tried to take him there and it didn't quite happen. 'So, he's a player I like and I think he's a player the recruitment staff like. But, how far that's gone, I'm not too sure.' Asked if the winger fitted the profile of players he is looking for, Martin added: 'He's a really good player. We look at all sorts of different profiles who we think can help the team. It doesn't necessarily have to be the one type of profile. 'Players are very different, we just need players with the right mentality that are desperate to come and play here. We will see where we end up in four weeks' time.' Meanwhile, Rangers midfielder Joe Rothwell is confident the Ibrox side are now in pole position to progress in their Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos. They beat the Greeks 2-0 earlier this week and will travel to Athens in a commanding position for Wednesday's second leg. Rothwell, 30, impressed on his competitive debut, and believes Rangers should fancy their chances of finishing the job. 'I think we have to now, yeah,' he said. 'At 2-0, it's a good scoreline, especially in this format. 'So we'll go out there and obviously we won't be looking to defend it. We'll try to win the game and score as many goals as we can. The win can be huge. 'The manager said in his press conference it was not going to be a season-defining game, but we wanted to put on a show and really show how he wants to do things. 'I think we managed to do that, controlled the game as we like to do and were just a bit disappointed we didn't go and probably kill the game off a little bit more. 'But we can't complain too much. It's a win and we'll take a lead over there next week.' Rangers should have been behind before 19-year-old winger Findlay Curtis opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. After a nervy first half, they had to rely on the brilliance of Jack Butland to make a series of vital saves to keep the game at 0-0. Rothwell, who was signed from Bournemouth in the summer, was impressed by his first taste of a European night at Ibrox. 'Loved it,' he said. 'Obviously you hear stories from the outside but, when you actually get out there and experience it, it's fantastic. 'I'm sure the fans are going to be behind us in every single game and we'll need them. 'There will be times where it might be a bit tough for us, but I'm sure they'll get behind us and then get us over the finish line. 'You can really see what the manager wants us to do and how we want to play. It was obviously another good test for us and we came through it in the end.'
