Thomas Partey Pleads Not Guilty to Additional Rape Allegations

Ex-Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has denied two fresh allegations of rape. The 32-year-old appeared in court to plead not guilty to raping a woman in London in December 2020. Partey, who now plays for Villarreal, was previously charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, dating back to 2021 and 2022, to which he also pleaded not guilty. A trial was initially set for November this year, but with the addition of two new rape charges, the trial date may be pushed to January next year. In total, Partey has now pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations from four women. During the hearing, Partey confirmed his name and entered the not guilty pleas. He was granted bail with the condition that he does not contact the alleged victims. Partey is expected to play for Ghana in the World Cup this summer. His case will be listed in court again on May 14 for a pre-trial hearing, at which point a trial date will be confirmed.