Thomas Partey Denies New Rape Allegations

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 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 also pleaded not guilty to those charges. The new allegations, announced in February, will be tried together with the previous charges. Judge Tony Baumgartner has warned that the trial, initially set for November, may now be delayed until January next year. Partey has now pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations from four different women. The Ghanaian midfielder, who currently plays for Villarreal, is on bail and is expected to face England in the World Cup this summer as part of the Ghana national team. His case is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on May 14, at which point a decision on the trial date will be made.