Thomas Partey Pleads Not Guilty to Additional Rape Charges

Ex-Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has entered not guilty pleas to two fresh allegations of rape. The 32-year-old midfielder appeared in court on Monday to deny the charges, which relate to an alleged incident in London in December 2020. Partey had previously been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, dating back to 2021 and 2022, and had pleaded not guilty to those charges. The two new allegations were announced in February, and a judge has agreed to combine all the charges into a single trial. However, the trial may be delayed until January next year. Partey, who now plays for Villarreal, has pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations from four different women. He is currently on bail and is expected to face England in the World Cup this summer as part of the Ghana national team.