Thomas Partey Faces Court, Pleads Not Guilty To Sexual Assault Allegations

‎Villarreal midfielder, Thomas Partey, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court.

‎The 32-year-old is accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third woman. The alleged offences are said to have occurred between 2021 and 2022, during his time with Arsenal.

‎Partey spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, and his not guilty pleas during a plea and preparation hearing on Wednesday.

‎Partey’s court appearance came after he came on as a second-half substitute for Villarreal in his team’s 1-0 defeat by Spurs in the Champions League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night.

‎At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Christopher Hehir told Partey, “Your trial will take place at this court on 2 November of next year, 2026. I appreciate that it is quite a long way in advance.

‎”As you may appreciate, the crown courts have a huge backlog of work, which means that trials do take a long time to come on. Because you have been bailed effectively, you are sitting behind a queue of people in prison who are waiting to be tried.”

‎The judge granted bail on the same conditions as Partey was placed under at a hearing last month. They are that he cannot contact any of the three women and must notify police of any permanent changes of address or international travel.

‎Thomas Partey joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45 million.

‎The defensive midfielder signed for Atlético Madrid in 2012, making 188 appearances, and spending time on loan at Mallorca and Almería. Partey later moved to Villarreal in August on a free transfer.