Former Arsenal player Partey granted bail on rape charges
The 32-year-old Ghana international has been charged with five counts of rape against two women and one count of sexual assault against a third woman.
The alleged offences took place between 2021 and 2022, when he was an Arsenal player.
Partey was charged on July 4, four days after leaving the Gunners when his contract expired at the end of June.
The midfielder stood with his arms behind his back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, wearing a black zip-neck jumper.
The footballer showed no reaction as the charges were read out and was not asked to enter any pleas.
Partey's lawyer Jenny Wiltshire previously said Partey "denies all the charges against him", adding he welcomed "the opportunity to finally clear his name".
Under his bail conditions he cannot contact any of the three women and must notify police of any permanent changes of address or international travel.
Reports in recent days have linked Partey with a move to La Liga club Villarreal.
As bail conditions were discussed in court, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said: "I understand he's no longer employed in this country and playing in Spain now."
Partey is due to appear at London's Old Bailey court on September 2.
A spokesperson for Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence said the group was "profoundly disappointed" in the London club over their handling of the matter.
Speaking outside court, Honor Barber told the PA news agency: "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.
"We protested outside almost every home game last season because we wanted to disrupt the wall of silence that the club has put up around this issue."
Barber said the group wanted the club to publish their sexual violence policies, "suspend anyone under investigation for sexual offences" and "properly support the survivors".
British police said they first received reports of an allegation of rape in February 2022.
Partey joined Arsenal for £45 million ($60 million) from Atletico Madrid in October 2020.
He appeared 52 times for the Gunners last season, scoring four goals. Overall he played 167 games for the club, scoring nine times.
Partey has also made 51 appearances for Ghana.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- The Citizen
Springboks eager to stamp their authority in Rugby Championship
The Springboks will be aiming to defend their Rugby Championship title, and key to that will be getting off to a good start at home against the Wallabies. The Springboks will be looking to stamp their authority during the Rugby Championship and hammer home their status as the top team in world rugby and the side to beat heading towards the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027. The Boks superbly backed up their 2023 World Cup triumph in France with a fantastic 2024, in which they won 11 out of 13 games, won the full (double round) Rugby Championship for the first time, and enjoyed an unbeaten end-of-year-tour to the UK. Their two losses came in one-point thrillers, with Ireland needing a drop goal after the fulltime hooter to win in Durban, while a fringe side was edged by Los Pumas in Argentina. With coach Rassie Erasmus and his management team continuing to evolve the Boks and strengthen their depth, they now have a great chance to make a big statement to the rest of the world in 2025 that they are seriously going for the three-peat in 2027. It has been an underwhelming start to the season for the Boks, as they have yet to be seriously challenged, so they may be heading into the Rugby Championship a tad undercooked. They crushed a well-known but ageing invitational Barbarians side 54-7 in their opening match, before easily dispatching Italy 42-24 and 45-0, and then cruising to a 55-10 win over second-tier Georgia. With the opposition not the strongest, the Boks took the opportunity to give fringe players game time, tried out some combinations and mixed it up with some innovative plays during their four matches so far. Wallabies up next However, they now head into the meat of the season, and defending their Rugby Championship title will be at the top of their agenda. Starting off at home against the Wallabies is probably the perfect way for them to build up a head of steam, heading into a huge two-game tour of New Zealand against the All Blacks. Australia are not the strongest opposition, but they look to be a much improved team from last year when the Boks dispatched them easily 33-7 and 30-12 Down Under. They will also have plenty of momentum and motivation after an impressive showing against the British and Irish Lions, where despite losing the series 2-1, they were very unlucky to lose the second Test and won the admittedly dead rubber finale over the past weekend. So they definitely can't be underestimated, but if the Boks can up their game from what they have produced so far this season, they should be able to comfortably deal with them on home turf. Rest of the season If they can start as expected, with two bonus-point wins against the Wallabies, that will set up their tour to New Zealand, where the Boks will be chasing a famous win over the All Blacks in Auckland, as well as in Wellington. The final two games of the Rugby Champs are against Argentina in Durban, and at Twickenham in England to close out the competition, and if they have sewn up the championship by then, they may use that game to shake things up a bit. The Boks then face the small matter of a four-game end-of-year-tour to the UK and Europe, where they will face Ireland and France on their home turf, and they will be keen to lay down a marker there as well.
The Citizen
13 hours ago
- The Citizen
Wirtz unfazed by huge Liverpool price tag
"I just want to play football and how much money the clubs pay between each other, it doesn't matter," he said. Florian Wirtz says his huge price tag 'doesn't matter' as he prepares for his first season in the Premier League after a switch to champions Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen. The attacking midfielder arrived at Anfield for an initial £100 million ($132 million) that could rise to £116 million with add-ons, making his move a potential British record. ALSO READ: Son Heung-min to leave Tottenham this summer after decade However, speaking after impressing in a 3-2 friendly win over Athletic Bilbao on Monday, the 22-year-old brushed off the size of his transfer fee. 'I don't think about it. I just want to play football and how much money the clubs pay between each other, it doesn't matter,' he said. 'Of course the big challenge is to win the title again and it is the most difficult thing so (I will) try and just create chances and also work against the ball. 'I can also run a lot so (I will) bring this to the team and then with the ball I can make the team better and bring my teammates into better situations.' Liverpool face FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the season-opening Community Shield on Sunday and kick off their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on August 15. Germany international Wirtz said he was relishing the challenge. 'There are some differences to Germany but I think there is also something I can learn and make me better so I am really looking forward to it,' he said. 'It's more intense and more physical, every player is really strong, really fast. That is what everybody is telling me.' – Big spenders – Liverpool have spent more than £250 million so far in the summer transfer window on a clutch of new players including Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, who also came from Leverkusen, and Giorgi Mamardashvili. The club are understood to have made a bid of around £110 million plus potential add-ons for unsettled Newcastle striker Alexander Isak last week, which was rejected. Manager Arne Slot said after two friendlies against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on Monday that there was 'always room for improvement' despite the club's march to a record-equalling 20th league title last season. 'We've added a few, in my opinion, extra weapons,' said the Dutchman. 'So, Florian has a lot of creativity in the final third. We've lost with Trent (Alexander-Arnold, who has signed for Real Madrid) a lot of creativity from the back. 'Trent's crosses and picking out runners was so special -– I think Flo has this quality as well in a totally different position.' Liverpool paid tribute to late forward Diogo Jota in their first matches at Anfield since the forward and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in Spain last month. Slot said in his programme notes that it had been a 'tough time for everyone connected with the club, but especially for Diogo's family, his wife, his children and friends'. 'We cannot imagine the pain that they have been going through, and the club will continue to give them all the support they can going forward,' he wrote. 'We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go.'
The South African
13 hours ago
- The South African
Rassie Erasmus hits back at coach (with a sweet burn)
When it comes to well-known critics of the Springboks, former Scotland coach Matt Williams has become an almost comical 'villain' considering how regularly he aims fire at Rassie Erasmus and his team. Williams has constantly fired criticism at the Springboks, whether it be bad-mouthing the concept of the 'bomb squad', Erasmus' outspoken nature, or some of the modern-day trickery enforced by the world champions. In the latest clip to come to light, Williams was reviewing the British & Irish Lions' tour to Australia, but randomly decided to talk about the 2021 visit to South Africa. 'The South African tour featured the worst games of international rugby I think I've ever seen. The way that both off-field management teams conducted themselves was disgraceful. Rassie was running on the field as a water carrier. 'They were leaking videos criticising referees, ringing people up. The style of rugby was an abomination… It was not played in a good spirit.' In typical fashion, Erasmus took to social media to share his response to this latest outburst from Williams. The Springbok coach pointedly shared a Wikipedia screen shot highlighting how, as coach of Scotland, Williams had only managed three wins in 17 matches, two of which were against then Tier Two nations Japan and Samoa. With this sweet and subtle 'burn', Erasmus clearly highlighted how the 65-year-old Williams really doesn't have a credible history to be making such judgements on the perennial World Cup winners. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
