Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey is now facing two new counts of rape involving a different alleged victim.
This development follows the 32-year-old’s earlier not guilty pleas to five counts of rape concerning two women, along with one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.
As a result, Partey is now accused of sexual offenses involving four women.
Details of the New Charges
The latest charges pertain to alleged incidents from 2020, which were first reported to authorities in August of last year. These charges emerged after a renewed investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates‘ Court on March 13 for an initial hearing regarding these two new allegations.
Background on Previous Charges
The Ghanaian international was granted conditional bail at Southwark Crown Court in September after he entered not guilty pleas to the original five charges. The alleged offenses, for which he was charged last year, occurred between 2021 and 2022 while he was a player for Arsenal.
Notably, he was charged just four days after his contract with Arsenal expired at the end of June.
Investigation Timeline and Future Proceedings
The charges stemmed from an investigation initiated by detectives in February 2022, following the first report of rape received by police.
A trial is set to commence under a High Court judge on November 2 of this year.
Since leaving the Premier League, Partey has signed with Spanish club Villarreal on a one-year contract, a move that was confirmed after he had been charged with rape.
Partey transferred to Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for £45.3 million in October 2020, making 130 appearances in the Premier League for Mikel Arteta’s team.
His attorney, Jenny Wiltshire, has stated that he „denies all the charges against him“ and is eager to „finally clear his name.“
Bildquelle: Filip Andrejevic auf Unsplash