Thomas Partey Denies New Rape Allegations

Ex-Arsenal player Thomas Partey has entered not guilty pleas to two fresh allegations of rape. The 32-year-old footballer appeared in court on Monday to deny the charges, which date back to December 2020. Partey, who now plays for Villarreal, had previously been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the alleged incidents occurring in 2021 and 2022. He had already pleaded not guilty to those charges, with a trial initially set for November this year. The two new allegations of rape were announced in February, and the judge has agreed to try all the charges together. However, this may lead to a delay in the trial, potentially pushing it back to January next year. In total, Partey has now denied seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations from four different women. The footballer, who is expected to play for Ghana in the upcoming World Cup, is currently on bail and has been ordered not to contact the alleged victims.