Thomas Partey: The important thing questions on former Arsenal midfielder charged with 5 counts of rape and one depend of sexual assault | Soccer Information
Sky Sports activities seems on the key questions surrounding the case of Thomas Partey, the previous Arsenal participant who has been charged over a number of counts of rape and sexual assault.
What has Partey been accused of?
Thomas Partey was charged on July 4 with 5 counts of rape and one depend of sexual assault, towards three completely different ladies.
Two of these counts of rape are towards one complainant, three additional counts of rape are towards a second complainant, and the sexual assault cost is alleged to have been dedicated towards a 3rd.
The entire incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. Partey has denied the entire fees towards him.
A press release from Partey’s lawyer stated: “Thomas Partey denies all the fees towards him. He has absolutely cooperated with the police and CPS all through their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the chance to lastly clear his title.”
Why did it take so lengthy for fees to be introduced?
Partey was first arrested on suspicion of rape three years in the past in July 2022. The Metropolitan Police have been finishing up a full investigation since then.
Sky Sports activities Information has found that the primary report on the case was handed from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service on December 27 2024 – 18 months after Partey was initially arrested.
Following additional investigations, an up to date file on the case was lodged with the CPS in April. Two months after that, Partey was charged.
Rape instances are a number of the most troublesome felony instances to prosecute, and the CPS will solely cost somebody in the event that they imagine there’s a “real looking chance of conviction” when all of the proof is positioned earlier than a jury.
It was solely as soon as the CPS had reviewed the police’s proof towards Partey in April that they felt this threshold had been reached, and there was sufficient data to cost him with the alleged crimes.
Two months in the past, Rape Disaster revealed statistics that confirmed there have been 71,227 instances of rape reported to the police in 2024. The charity believes many extra assaults go unreported.
Conviction charges in England and Wales for rape and sexual assault are amongst the bottom for any crime – solely 2.7 per cent of these 70,000+ instances ended up with a suspect being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Investigations into sexual crimes can usually be lengthy and delicate processes.
Was it a coincidence that Partey was charged simply days after his Arsenal contract expired?
The timing of the fees – lower than per week after his contract at Arsenal expired – has been the topic of intense dialogue on social media.
There was no additional remark from the Met Police or the CPS, who’re prohibited from making any assertion as soon as a authorized case is “lively” – and when it’s more likely to find yourself in a court docket case.
However the CPS is, importantly, unbiased of the police and makes its charging selections primarily based solely on the premise of the proof it sees. The CPS by no means alters its timescales to swimsuit a defendant, or to slot in with their employment priorities.
As quickly because the CPS is glad there’s a “real looking prospect of conviction”, it can deliver forth a cost, or set of fees. That’s precisely what occurred within the case of Partey.
The police can speed up their investigations for numerous causes – one among which might, probably, be as a result of a suspect might have plans to depart the nation sooner or later, and so they really feel it could possibly be troublesome to get the person to return to the UK to face future fees.
However there is no such thing as a suggestion that’s the case with Partey, although the Ghana worldwide is now free to hitch some other membership worldwide, following the expiration of his Arsenal contract.
Why could not Partey be named earlier than he was charged?
Below UK regulation, the alleged victims of sexual crimes are entitled to lifetime anonymity below the regulation: they can’t be recognized at any stage – even when the individual accused is finally discovered not responsible.
In contrast, people who find themselves arrested and accused of sexual crimes are usually not granted anonymity.
Nonetheless, in February 2022, the UK Supreme Courtroom dominated definitively that an individual who’s below felony investigation has an inexpensive expectation of privateness previous to a cost.
That led to an enormous change in how the media reported high-profile people who had been being investigated by the police, for concern that the newspaper or broadcaster is likely to be sued for breaching that particular person’s privateness.
And so, whereas the accusations towards Partey had been well-known and being mentioned overtly on social media, Sky Sports activities Information – like different established broadcasters and information organisations – weren’t ready to take action.
That led to a weird state of affairs the place some opposing followers could possibly be heard inside stadiums taunting Partey throughout Arsenal video games with references to his police investigation, although he couldn’t be named within the media.
As soon as he was charged, the media was allowed to determine Partey at that time with out danger of reprisals, and report what he has been accused of.
Why did not Arsenal droop Partey?
It is a key query, and finally, it’s a resolution solely Arsenal can reply. They haven’t performed so, but.
As Partey’s employer, the membership had an obligation of care over him and an obligation to deal with him pretty – everybody on this nation is taken into account harmless except they’re confirmed responsible in a court docket of regulation.
However the membership additionally had an obligation of care over different workers, and generally in regulation – the rights of 1 social gathering can battle with the rights of one other.
Sky Sports activities Information has been informed Arsenal did observe the authorized recommendation that they had been given from the time Partey was first arrested – which included ensuring sufficient safeguarding procedures had been in place to reassure different Arsenal members of employees.
The authorized and ethical obligations of an employer on the subject of allegations of sexual crimes towards an worker, is much from clear minimize.
Within the case of high-profile people, an organization (or soccer membership) will weigh up numerous components earlier than deciding whether or not to droop them.
One of many issues is the membership’s repute. How damaging wouldn’t it be if a participant goes on to be convicted of a sexual crime and their membership determined to not droop them till they had been legally certain to take action? How would such a choice be considered by, for instance, that membership’s feminine followers?
The precept of regulation is that everybody who’s accused of against the law must be handled equally and pretty. Ask your self this query: if an workplace employee is arrested on suspicion of rape, ought to they be handled otherwise to somebody within the public eye – like a pop star or an expert footballer?
The regulation says no – everybody must be handled the identical. However for a soccer membership, the choice whether or not or to not droop a participant is a way more difficult resolution.
Manchester Metropolis determined to droop Benjamin Mendy with out pay when he was charged with a number of counts of sexual assault in August 2021.
Mendy was subsequently acquitted of all these fees towards him in July 2023, and he then took Metropolis to an employment tribunal. Mendy finally received £11m in damages from the membership, to cowl his misplaced wages for the 2 years whereas he was suspended.
If Arsenal had determined to droop Partey when he was first arrested in 2022 – and if he goes on to be convicted of no crime – the north London membership might have confronted an enormous authorized invoice stretching into tens of hundreds of thousands of kilos.
Why did Arsenal open contract renewal talks with Partey?
Sky Sports activities Information reported in April that Arsenal had opened talks with Partey over a brand new contract.
When requested if he wished Partey to remain forward of Arsenal’s ultimate sport of the season in Might, Mikel Arteta stated: “Sure…he is a extremely essential participant for us.”
And in early June, when Arsenal introduced their retained record, the membership confirmed they had been nonetheless in talks with Partey over a attainable new deal.
There was no remark from Arsenal on why they had been negotiating with Partey whereas he was nonetheless below felony investigation.
What have Arsenal stated since Partey was charged?
Now that Partey has been charged, there’s little or no that Arsenal can publicly say. An Arsenal spokesperson stated: “The participant’s contract ended on June 30. As a consequence of ongoing authorized proceedings the membership is unable to touch upon the case.”
The Soccer Affiliation and the Premier League declined to remark.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who’s main the investigation for the Met Police, stated: “Our precedence stays offering help to the ladies who’ve come ahead.
“We’d ask anybody who has been impacted by this case, or anybody who has data, to talk with our crew. You may contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk”
What occurs subsequent?
Partey is scheduled to seem at Westminster Magistrates Courtroom on Tuesday August 5 to reply the six fees towards him. It’ll most likely be 2026 earlier than his case could possibly be heard in a full court docket trial.
Within the meantime, the 32-year-old is free to proceed his enjoying profession, if he can discover a new membership that desires to signal him on a free switch – however any future employer may also know he has been charged with six counts of rape and sexual assault.