Thomas Partey rape charges explained: Why did it take so long and why are Arsenal under scrutiny?

New York Times

14 hours ago

Thomas Partey, the former Arsenal midfielder, has been charged with multiple counts of rape following a police investigation spanning three years.
Partey is accused of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against three victims between 2021 and 2022. A first court appearance will come next month.
The Athletic looks at the key questions surrounding the case as he prepares for trial.
Partey is a Ghana international who has won 53 caps for his country, who has spent the last decade playing in the top divisions of Spain and England.
The 32-year-old midfielder spent seven years with Atletico Madrid, where he won the La Liga title and the UEFA Europa League as well as earning a runner's-up medal in the Champions League in 2016.
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He joined Premier League club Arsenal for £45million ($61.4m) in 2020 and has been a key player under manager Mikel Arteta for the majority of his five seasons at the Emirates Stadium, playing 167 games in all competitions.
There had been discussions held over extending Partey's contract at the end of last season but he was eventually allowed to leave as a free agent when his deal expired on June 30.
Partey has under investigation over rape allegations since February 2022, and was first arrested in July of that year.
He has now been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), an independent body that prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by police and other investigative bodies in England and Wales, outlined those charges on Friday afternoon.
It said the allegations related to 'three separate women who reported incidents which took place between 2021 and 2022.'
That included two counts of rape against one complainant, three counts of rape against a second complainant and one count of sexual assault against a third.
'The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape after carefully reviewing a comprehensive file of evidence,' said Jaswant Narwal, the chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North.
'Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers in the Metropolitan Police who have carried out the investigation, to review the evidence and advise on the appropriate charges.'
A statement from Partey's lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire of Hickman and Rose, outlined his desire to prove his innocence.
'Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him,' it read. 'He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.
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'Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.'
It is over four years since the first of the alleged incidents took place but rape charges are among the most challenging to bring a conviction.
In its guidelines on how it charges and prosecutes rape cases, the CPS says it has to be satisfied that there is enough evidence for there to be a 'realistic prospect of conviction' before the investigating police force is authorised to charge the defendant.
That will ultimately be based upon the evidence available and it will be up to prosecutors to try to convince at jury at any trial that the defendant did not have 'reasonable belief' that the victim was consenting to the sexual activity.
Partey has been questioned by the Met Police on multiple occasions after an initial arrest in July 2022, with bail routinely extended, allowing him to continue his career with Arsenal.
This is a legal obligation. In the United Kingdom, arrested suspects have the right to privacy until the police charge them. The courts generally consider there is no public interest in knowing what someone is being investigated for or has been arrested for.
The point of charge is when that position changes and that is why Partey's name has now been published in relation to the case. That is not to say supporters were unaware, with social media posts regularly linking Partey to the allegations. That is why Partey's solicitor suggested this was a chance for her client to 'finally clear his name.'
Arsenal have been aware of the police investigation into Partey throughout and protests, not specifically referencing the player, have been regularly staged by the campaign group Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence, who consider that once such serious allegations have been made against someone, they should be suspended.
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Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence last posted on X on July 1, the day after Partey's release from the club. 'All too often another club is willing to overlook these concerns in favour of on-pitch success. This cycle, where safeguarding is secondary to silverware, is one we are determined to break throughout football.'
There has been criticism from other sectors, too. Dino Nocivelli, a partner at legal firm Leigh Day, told The Telegraph: 'I think the fact that the defendant in these cases has been able to continue his working life is wrong and clearly sends the wrong message for such serious allegations as rape and sexual assault.
'The player should have been suspended while his football club and the (English) Football Association investigated the allegations, with no prospect of resuming his work until the investigations were concluded.'
Arsenal and the FA have been approached for comment by The Athletic.
English football has known a number of high-profile players answer sexual assault charges in recent years, with Partey the latest name to leave his (now former) employer facing criticisms.
Benjamin Mendy, the former Manchester City full-back, was another to face multiple counts of rape when charged by Chesire Police in August 2021. City responded by suspending Mendy, who denied all charges, at that point but the France international had remained available for selection during the initial investigation.
Mendy was eventually found not guilty of all charges but had left Manchester City at the time of his full acquittal. He later won the main part of an employment tribunal against the club that saw him claim £11million ($14.2m) in unpaid wages.
Sunderland were willing to continue playing the former England winger Adam Johnson after he was charged for having sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. Johnson remained a regular starter up until the weekend before the beginning of his trial, where he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 and grooming. Sunderland only terminated Johnson's contract at that point. He was later sentenced to six years in prison.
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Another case, maintaining the anonymity of the professional footballer arrested throughout, took a very different approach.
That player was suspended by his club shortly after his arrest in July 2021 on suspicion of multiple child sex offences and remained unavailable throughout his time on bail. He was later told he would face no action 21 months later, after his case failed to 'reach the threshold set out on the Code for Crown Prosecutors.'
Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 5 to answer the charges but it is highly likely his case will not go to trial until next year.
The 32-year-old, a free agent for the last four days, is still able to pursue the next step in his career but any club wishing to offer a fresh challenge will do so knowing Partey has serious charges to answer in the UK.