Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey to deny two new allegations of rape

Thomas Partey is expected to deny two additional rape allegations after a court hearing in London, where the Ghana international was absent during the preliminary proceedings.

The 32-year-old midfielder was charged last month with two counts of rape relating to an alleged incident involving a woman during a date in December 2020.

During Friday’s session at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram handled the initial stage of the case. Partey did not appear in court after being formally excused, but his lawyer, Emma Fenn, informed the court that the player intends to plead not guilty to both charges.

The former Arsenal F.C. midfielder had already been charged last year with five counts of rape involving two women and an additional sexual assault allegation concerning a third complainant. Those charges stem from an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Partey has denied all previous accusations, which are linked to alleged incidents in 2021 and 2022. The case is scheduled to go to trial at Southwark Crown Court in November.

Prosecutor Arabella MacDonald told the court that the latest allegations surfaced after the earlier charges became widely known.

“The complainant came forward after news of Mr Partey’s other matters were widely publicised,” she said, adding that the complainant came forward following the publicity surrounding the earlier case.

Magistrate Ikram referred the new allegations—said to involve a fourth complainant—to the crown court, where they will be reviewed during a hearing scheduled for April 10.

According to the charges, Partey, who currently plays for Spanish side Villarreal CF, is accused of raping a woman twice in London on the same day in December 2020.

The midfielder joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 in a deal reportedly worth around £45 million before leaving the Premier League club in June last year.

At international level, Partey has earned more than 50 caps for the Ghana national football team, featuring at both the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.

The court granted Partey bail on Friday on the condition that he does not contact the alleged victim. He is expected to appear at the next hearing in April.