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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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London's Metropolitan Police on Friday announced charges of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against former Arsenal FC player Thomas Partey following a two-and-a-half-year investigation.
Newsweek reached out to Arsenal FC by email on Friday for comment.
Why It Matters
Partey, 32, joined Arsenal in 2020 and left the club following the end of his contract this month as the club declined to renew him.
Read More on World
The club paid Atletico Madrid £45.3m (just shy of $62 million) for the player. He also represents Ghana at the international level.
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What To Know
Reports first arose in 2022 that an unnamed premier league player had been accused of sexual assault by multiple women. Police arrested and questioned the player in 2022 and questioned him again in 2023.
The player was allowed to continue playing for his club, and his identity remained a closely guarded secret as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considered whether to charge the player with the alleged offenses.
Now, Partey has been identified as that player. The charges involve three women and allegedly took place between 2021 and 2022, according to the BBC.
Arsenal now faces criticism for letting Partey continue to play even after his arrest and multiple rounds of questioning as the investigation continued. Partey ended up playing critical roles in two title challenges over the past two years, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in May said he would like Partey to sign a new deal.
"Consistency-wise, it's been his best season," Arteta said. "I think the way he's played, performed, his availability has been exceptional & he's a really important player for us."
Despite official efforts to keep his identity concealed, fans deduced that Partey was the likely suspect and made their displeasure plain at matches over the past two years - especially Arsenal fans who did not like that the club continued to play him during the investigation, according to the Telegraph.
Dino Nocivelli, a Leigh Day partner who has worked on several high-profile abuse cases in sport, told the Telegraph that allowing Partey to keep playing "clearly sends the wrong message for such serious allegations as rape and sexual assault."
Instead, Nocivelli said that the club should have suspended Partey while the investigation continued "with no prospect of resuming his work until the investigations were concluded."
What People Are Saying
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who leads the investigation, said: "Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward. We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk."
Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape – after carefully reviewing a comprehensive file of evidence. Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers in the Metropolitan Police who have carried out the investigation, to review the evidence and advise on the appropriate charges.
"We remind everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial," Narwal added. "We know there will be significant public interest in this announcement, but it is absolutely vital that there is no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."
What Happens Next
Partey is set to appear in London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5.
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