Thomas Partey rape charges explained: Why did it take so long and why are Arsenal under scrutiny?
Partey is accused of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against three victims between 2021 and 2022. A first court appearance will come next month.
The Athletic looks at the key questions surrounding the case as he prepares for trial.
Partey is a Ghana international who has won 53 caps for his country, who has spent the last decade playing in the top divisions of Spain and England.
The 32-year-old midfielder spent seven years with Atletico Madrid, where he won the La Liga title and the UEFA Europa League as well as earning a runner's-up medal in the Champions League in 2016.
Advertisement
He joined Premier League club Arsenal for £45million ($61.4m) in 2020 and has been a key player under manager Mikel Arteta for the majority of his five seasons at the Emirates Stadium, playing 167 games in all competitions.
There had been discussions held over extending Partey's contract at the end of last season but he was eventually allowed to leave as a free agent when his deal expired on June 30.
Partey has under investigation over rape allegations since February 2022, and was first arrested in July of that year.
He has now been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), an independent body that prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by police and other investigative bodies in England and Wales, outlined those charges on Friday afternoon.
It said the allegations related to 'three separate women who reported incidents which took place between 2021 and 2022.'
That included two counts of rape against one complainant, three counts of rape against a second complainant and one count of sexual assault against a third.
'The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape after carefully reviewing a comprehensive file of evidence,' said Jaswant Narwal, the chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North.
'Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers in the Metropolitan Police who have carried out the investigation, to review the evidence and advise on the appropriate charges.'
A statement from Partey's lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire of Hickman and Rose, outlined his desire to prove his innocence.
'Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him,' it read. 'He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.
Advertisement
'Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.'
It is over four years since the first of the alleged incidents took place but rape charges are among the most challenging to bring a conviction.
In its guidelines on how it charges and prosecutes rape cases, the CPS says it has to be satisfied that there is enough evidence for there to be a 'realistic prospect of conviction' before the investigating police force is authorised to charge the defendant.
That will ultimately be based upon the evidence available and it will be up to prosecutors to try to convince at jury at any trial that the defendant did not have 'reasonable belief' that the victim was consenting to the sexual activity.
Partey has been questioned by the Met Police on multiple occasions after an initial arrest in July 2022, with bail routinely extended, allowing him to continue his career with Arsenal.
This is a legal obligation. In the United Kingdom, arrested suspects have the right to privacy until the police charge them. The courts generally consider there is no public interest in knowing what someone is being investigated for or has been arrested for.
The point of charge is when that position changes and that is why Partey's name has now been published in relation to the case. That is not to say supporters were unaware, with social media posts regularly linking Partey to the allegations. That is why Partey's solicitor suggested this was a chance for her client to 'finally clear his name.'
Arsenal have been aware of the police investigation into Partey throughout and protests, not specifically referencing the player, have been regularly staged by the campaign group Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence, who consider that once such serious allegations have been made against someone, they should be suspended.
Advertisement
Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence last posted on X on July 1, the day after Partey's release from the club. 'All too often another club is willing to overlook these concerns in favour of on-pitch success. This cycle, where safeguarding is secondary to silverware, is one we are determined to break throughout football.'
There has been criticism from other sectors, too. Dino Nocivelli, a partner at legal firm Leigh Day, told The Telegraph: 'I think the fact that the defendant in these cases has been able to continue his working life is wrong and clearly sends the wrong message for such serious allegations as rape and sexual assault.
'The player should have been suspended while his football club and the (English) Football Association investigated the allegations, with no prospect of resuming his work until the investigations were concluded.'
Arsenal and the FA have been approached for comment by The Athletic.
English football has known a number of high-profile players answer sexual assault charges in recent years, with Partey the latest name to leave his (now former) employer facing criticisms.
Benjamin Mendy, the former Manchester City full-back, was another to face multiple counts of rape when charged by Chesire Police in August 2021. City responded by suspending Mendy, who denied all charges, at that point but the France international had remained available for selection during the initial investigation.
Mendy was eventually found not guilty of all charges but had left Manchester City at the time of his full acquittal. He later won the main part of an employment tribunal against the club that saw him claim £11million ($14.2m) in unpaid wages.
Sunderland were willing to continue playing the former England winger Adam Johnson after he was charged for having sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. Johnson remained a regular starter up until the weekend before the beginning of his trial, where he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 and grooming. Sunderland only terminated Johnson's contract at that point. He was later sentenced to six years in prison.
Advertisement
Another case, maintaining the anonymity of the professional footballer arrested throughout, took a very different approach.
That player was suspended by his club shortly after his arrest in July 2021 on suspicion of multiple child sex offences and remained unavailable throughout his time on bail. He was later told he would face no action 21 months later, after his case failed to 'reach the threshold set out on the Code for Crown Prosecutors.'
Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 5 to answer the charges but it is highly likely his case will not go to trial until next year.
The 32-year-old, a free agent for the last four days, is still able to pursue the next step in his career but any club wishing to offer a fresh challenge will do so knowing Partey has serious charges to answer in the UK.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Safe space for women to open in Scarborough to provide vital support
A new safe space for women is being launched to offer specialist support in Scarborough. The Women's Centre will officially open later this month, providing a women-only environment for those in Scarborough and nearby coastal areas. It aims to support women with multiple unmet needs, those who have experienced trauma, and those at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said: "The Mayor and I are determined to tackle the levels of violence against women and girls in our region and to deliver safe places for all. "This new Women's Centre will deliver a step change in the support available to women in Scarborough and the surrounding area." Modelled on the successful York Women's Centre, the new facility will offer one-to-one and group support in a holistic, trauma-informed setting. It will also provide practical amenities including a kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities.
New York Times
22 minutes ago
- New York Times
Man Utd have failed to sell Rashford, Sancho and Garnacho – it's a mess of their own making
At what point do alarm bells start ringing for Marcus Rashford, for Jadon Sancho, for Alejandro Garnacho, for Antony and for Manchester United? Ruben Amorim wanted all four unhappy players sold before pre-season training begins on Monday — an immediate boost to their straitened financial position, a significant burden off the wage bill and, importantly from the manager's perspective, an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and move on from some of the issues that have dogged the club for the past two seasons. Advertisement Predictably — because clear desperation to sell is not a great look in any marketplace — they are all still Manchester United players. And with Amorim eager to move on without them as he steps up his preparations for the new season, it emerged on Friday that the club has informed all four, plus unwanted left-back Tyrell Malacia, that it has delayed their return date until 'later in July' to give them more time to secure a move away. Equally predictably, this latest development, communicated on Thursday, has not gone down well among the players and their representatives, some of whom dispute the claim that they have asked for a move. There was a reference to their being allowed access to the medical and support facilities at Carrington at some point in July if they have not secured a move, but there was not the slightest hint of a scenario in which they might be reintegrated to Amorim's squad. There are potential exit routes. The Athletic revealed this week that Rashford and his representatives are pursuing options overseas after Aston Villa, where he spent the second half of last season on loan, decided against taking up the £40million ($54.6million) option of a permanent deal; Sancho, who spent last season on loan to Chelsea, has been linked with moves to Borussia Dortmund (for a third time) and Juventus; Garnacho remains the subject of interest from Chelsea; Real Betis are still hoping to find a way re-sign Antony, ideally on another loan. But interest has been slow to crystallise into anything more serious, let alone anything of the type that would meet United's earlier expectations of what they might raise. The Transfermarkt website would not claim its algorithm to track players' valuations is a 100 per cent replication of market conditions, but it proposes that at the respective peaks of their powers — in Sancho's case during his penultimate season at Dortmund — Rashford, Sancho and Antony would have been valued at a combined £250million (£73m, £112m, and £65m respectively). Now, by contrast, Transfermarkt places their valuations at a combined £97m (Rashford £43m, Sancho £24m, Antony £30m). Advertisement But even those valuations look extremely unrealistic, not least because of the additional financial burden that their wages would bring. Villa could have signed Rashford for £40m but decided against it; Chelsea had a contractual obligation to sign Sancho permanently for up to £25m but preferred to pay a £5m penalty charge to send him back, having been unable to agree personal terms; Betis would love to re-sign Antony, but the Spanish club do not have the funds to get anywhere near that £30m figure and would prefer another loan, with United helping to subsidise his wages. Whatever hopes United might have had in terms of transfer fees — particularly during the moments when Rashford, Sancho and particularly Antony showed flashes, during their loan spells, of talents that seemed to have stagnated at Old Trafford — are having to be scaled down rapidly. Would they accept £30m for Rashford? What about £25m, £20m? What if another few weeks pass without a deal? Are they desperate enough to accept another loan? Garnacho is a different case. At 21 he is by far the youngest and most saleable of the quartet, his best years theoretically ahead of him, his dip in form nothing like as deep or as long as those endured by the other three. He has a lower base salary than the other three, so meeting his financial expectations might not be so difficult. It is possible to regard him as a talented, albeit inconsistent winger who, even if he doesn't fit Amorim's tactical vision, would represent a safer investment — bigger upside, smaller downside — than some of the array of wingers Chelsea have bought. But would even Chelsea consider meeting a reported £60m asking price when United, through their clear desperation to sell, have created a buyer's market? This is not just, as it appeared in January, a club whose financial circumstances might lead them reluctantly to consider any huge offers for Garnacho or midfielder Kobbie Mainoo if the price was right. This is now a club that needs to sell Garnacho because his relationship with Amorim — like Rashford's and like Sancho's with Erik ten Hag previously — has broken down. There is another complication. At a time when there is felt to be a shortage of top-class options in certain positions (goalkeepers, centre-forwards), there is a veritable glut of right-footed forwards who like to cut inside from the left wing. And here we have one club trying to sell three players (Rashford, Sancho, Garnacho) who are regarded primarily as that, plus a left-footer (Antony) who likes to cut in from the right. What does it say about United's failures of recruitment and player development in recent years that they find themselves trying to sell three left wingers at once? Advertisement If there was a time when left-sided forwards were in short supply, that has changed dramatically in recent years with a trend towards inverted wingers, encouraged to dribble inside rather than take the outside route. Look among the biggest, richest clubs — the ones who might have some prospect of meeting Manchester United's and Rashford's financial expectations — and you will not find many vacancies for such a player. To return to Transfermarkt again, the site values no fewer than 25 left-wingers at €50m-plus. As well as Vinicius Jnr (Real Madrid), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola (both Paris Saint-Germain), Raphinha (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) and Rafael Leao (AC Milan), that list includes Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz (Liverpool), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Kevin Schade (Brentford). More significantly, it includes a couple of emerging talents who have been transferred this summer (Alex Baena, 23, whom Atletico Madrid signed from Villarreal; Jamie Gittens, who his about to join Chelsea from Dortmund; Jesus Rodriguez who has joined Como from Betis) and others (such as Kenan Yildiz at Juventus and the precociously gifted Malick Fofana at Lyon) who are appearing prominently on every scouting radar. In an era when the focus on 'proven' talent has been replaced by a preference for investing in untapped potential — a practice that has been taken to an extreme at Chelsea — the market for Rashford at 27 and Sancho and Antony at 25, all of them with at least a couple of difficult seasons behind them, seems far less active than it once would have done. The same goes for Jack Grealish, who, four years after a £100m transfer from Villa, is totally out of the picture at Manchester City and wondering what kind of escape route might present itself. But the difference is that Manchester City can afford to take a big hit on a player for once, as opposed to the enormous losses United have taken on so many of the big signings they have made over the past decade. There is at least some interest in Rashford. The Barcelona idea, which his representatives are pursuing actively for the second successive transfer window, has resurfaced in the past few days after Williams, their top target, elected to stay in Bilbao. Bayern Munich continue to crop up in dispatches. But for both clubs Rashford would appear an 'option', at a knockdown price, rather than an immediate priority. In an interview with YouTuber Javi Ruiz while in Spain last month, Rashford did not disguise his interest in Barcelona. He emphasised his renewed enthusiasm for playing at centre-forward, which he said was 'becoming more comfortable, more natural'. In his 13 appearances at Villa (six starts, seven from the bench), he was used on the left wing and through the middle by Unai Emery and there were moments, in both positions, where he offered glimpses of the Rashford of two seasons earlier. Advertisement But those undeniable glimpses didn't develop into anything more enduring. A hamstring injury cut short his season and, while Emery appreciated his contribution, the Villa hierarchy did not see enough to persuade them to take up that £40m option when they have faced their own battle to comply with the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations. Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment last year, Manchester United have been pleading poverty, the financial excesses of the previous decade leaving them with no choice but to cut jobs, raise ticket prices and make painful decisions for the long-term good. Their financial headaches would have been eased considerably by a couple of quick windfalls with the sales of Rashford and Sancho — transfer fees banked and salaries off the wage bill — but it is yet to happen. The fact they have ploughed ahead with the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and have offered a similar sum for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo underlines their commitment to a revamp of their forward line. The fact that Cunha has been offered what was Rashford's No 10 shirt is as clear a sign as any that the England forward has no future under Amorim. Amorim's need for a fresh start — no more sulkers, no more malcontents — is obvious, having spent so much of his tenure in firefighting mode. But just how big a series of financial hits are United willing to take in order to give their manager that clean slate he wants? If these were easy transactions to make, Rashford and Antony would have been sold last summer and Sancho at least six months before that. The fact they are still there should leave everyone at Manchester United, not least the players themselves, with an awful lot to ponder.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gossip: Frank would cost Spurs £10m
Tottenham will have to pay in excess of £10m if they want to bring in Brentford boss Thomas Frank to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou. (Mirror) Want more transfer stories? Read Saturday's full gossip column Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport
