Thomas Partey, the former Arsenal midfielder, has been granted bail after being accused of rape and sexual assault. The player, who recently left Arsenal after his contract expired on June 30, faces multiple charges linked to incidents that reportedly took place between 2021 and 2022 while he was still with the club.
Partey was signed by Arsenal in October 2020 for a £45 million ($60 million) transfer fee from Atletico Madrid. During his two-year stint at the club, he made 167 appearances, scoring nine times. Last season on his own, he made 52 appearances, adding four goals to the team’s total. Alongside his club career, Partey has made 51 appearances for the Ghanaian international team.
His legal woes started when charges were filed against him in February, 2022. Unfortunately, on July 4, only days after saying goodbye to Arsenal, Partey was hit with shocking allegations. He was later charged with five counts of rape against two women and one count of sexual assault on a third woman. He is due to appear again at London’s Old Bailey central criminal court on September 2.
As a condition of his bail, Partey is not supposed to contact the three women in the case. He should keep law enforcement officials on alert whenever he has to change his permanent address. Moreover, he must keep them updated on any travel outside the U.S.
Jenny Wiltshire, Partey’s attorney, wasn’t shy to proclaim her client’s innocence, saying he “unequivocally denies all the charges brought against him.” She added that this situation presents Partey with “the opportunity to finally clear his name.”
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring acknowledged Partey’s current status, saying, “I understand he’s no longer employed in this country and playing in Spain now.” Reports indicate that he could be involved in a transfer to La Liga side Villarreal.
Arsenal has refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings but stated through a spokesman, “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case.”
Legitimate worry about the state of play has been raised by even some of the games’ most ardent supporters. Honor Barber, a vocal supporter of the club, remarked, “We never wanted to be in a situation where the club that we love and the club that has values that we believe in was playing, week-in, week-out, a player who is now facing court appearances on six counts of sexual violence.”
