Arsenal midfielder Partey faces two new rape charge pleas

Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey faces new charges of rape

Thomas Partey, a midfielder who plays for Villarreal, is set to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape at a London court. The 32-year-old Ghanaian national was initially charged with similar allegations in July last year.

Partey’s lawyer, Emma Fenn, stated that he intends to plead not guilty to the new charges during a preliminary session at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The case is separate from another trial scheduled for November at Southwark Crown Court, where Partey faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

A court hearing revealed that the new allegations arose after the initial charges were made public. Partey was not required to attend the session, which set a date of April 10 for his next court appearance.

Partey had joined Arsenal in 2020 from Atletico Madrid and played for the club until he left last summer. He signed with Villarreal in August after being granted bail. The Ghana national team has qualified for the World Cup and will compete in the same group as England, Croatia, and Panama. Partey has made over 50 appearances for Ghana.

The case against Partey is ongoing, with his lawyer’s statement confirming that he intends to plead not guilty to the new charges.

Source: Al Jazeera