Thomas Partey: The key questions about former Arsenal midfielder charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault | Football News

Sky Sports looks at the key questions surrounding the case of Thomas Partey, the former Arsenal player who has been charged over multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.

What has Partey been accused of?

Thomas Partey was charged on July 4 with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, against three different women.

Two of those counts of rape are against one complainant, three further counts of rape are against a second complainant, and the sexual assault charge is said to have been committed against a third.

All of the incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. Partey has denied all of the charges against him.

A statement from Partey’s lawyer said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him. He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.”

Why did it take so long for charges to be brought?

Partey was first arrested on suspicion of rape three years ago in July 2022. The Metropolitan Police have been carrying out a full investigation since then.

Sky Sports News has discovered that the first report on the case was passed from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service on December 27 2024 – 18 months after Partey was initially arrested.

Following further investigations, an updated file on the case was lodged with the CPS in April. Two months after that, Partey was charged.

Rape cases are some of the most difficult criminal cases to prosecute, and the CPS will only charge someone if they believe there is a “realistic possibility of conviction” when all the evidence is placed before a jury.

It was only once the CPS had reviewed the police’s evidence against Partey in April that they felt this threshold had been reached, and there was enough information to charge him with the alleged crimes.

Two months ago, Rape Crisis published statistics that showed there were 71,227 cases of rape reported to the police in 2024. The charity believes many more assaults go unreported.

Conviction rates in England and Wales for rape and sexual assault are amongst the lowest for any crime – only 2.7 per cent of those 70,000+ cases ended up with a suspect being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Investigations into sexual crimes can often be long and sensitive processes.

Was it a coincidence that Partey was charged just days after his Arsenal contract expired?

The timing of the charges – less than a week after his contract at Arsenal expired – has been the subject of intense discussion on social media.

There has been no further comment from the Met Police or the CPS, who are prohibited from making any statement once a legal case is “active” – and when it is likely to end up in a court case.

But the CPS is, importantly, independent of the police and makes its charging decisions based only on the basis of the evidence it sees. The CPS never alters its timescales to suit a defendant, or to fit in with their employment priorities.

As soon as the CPS is satisfied there is a “realistic prospect of conviction”, it will bring forth a charge, or set of charges. That is exactly what happened in the case of Partey.

The police can accelerate their investigations for a number of reasons – one of which could, potentially, be because a suspect may have plans to leave the country in the future, and they feel it could be difficult to get the individual to return to the UK to face future charges.

But there is no suggestion that is the case with Partey, even though the Ghana international is now free to join any other club worldwide, following the expiration of his Arsenal contract.

Why couldn’t Partey be named before he was charged?

Under UK law, the alleged victims of sexual crimes are entitled to lifetime anonymity under the law: they cannot be identified at any stage – even if the person accused is ultimately found not guilty.

By contrast, people who are arrested and accused of sexual crimes are not granted anonymity.

However, in February 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled definitively that a person who is under criminal investigation has a reasonable expectation of privacy prior to a charge.

That led to a huge change in how the media reported high-profile individuals who were being investigated by the police, for fear that the newspaper or broadcaster might be sued for breaching that individual’s privacy.

And so, while the accusations against Partey were well known and being discussed openly on social media, Sky Sports News – like other established broadcasters and news organisations – were not able to do so.

That led to a bizarre situation where some opposing fans could be heard inside stadiums taunting Partey during Arsenal games with references to his police investigation, even though he could not be named in the media.

Once he was charged, the media was allowed to identify Partey at that point without risk of reprisals, and report what he has been accused of.

Why didn’t Arsenal suspend Partey?

This is a key question, and ultimately, it is a decision only Arsenal can answer. They have not done so, yet.

As Partey’s employer, the club had a duty of care over him and an obligation to treat him fairly – everyone in this country is considered innocent unless they are proven guilty in a court of law.

But the club also had a duty of care over other employees, and sometimes in law – the rights of one party can conflict with the rights of another.

Sky Sports News has been told Arsenal did follow the legal advice they had been given from the time Partey was first arrested – which included making sure adequate safeguarding procedures were in place to reassure other Arsenal members of staff.

The legal and moral obligations of an employer when it comes to allegations of sexual crimes against an employee, is far from clear cut.

In the case of high-profile individuals, a company (or football club) will weigh up a number of factors before deciding whether to suspend them.

One of the considerations is the club’s reputation. How damaging would it be if a player goes on to be convicted of a sexual crime and their club decided not to suspend them until they were legally bound to do so? How would such a decision be viewed by, for example, that club’s female fans?

The principle of law is that everyone who is accused of a crime should be treated equally and fairly. Ask yourself this question: if an office worker is arrested on suspicion of rape, should they be treated differently to someone in the public eye – like a pop star or a professional footballer?

The law says no – everyone should be treated the same. But for a football club, the decision whether or not to suspend a player is a much more complicated decision.

Manchester City decided to suspend Benjamin Mendy without pay when he was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault in August 2021.

Mendy was subsequently acquitted of all those charges against him in July 2023, and he then took City to an employment tribunal. Mendy ultimately won £11m in damages from the club, to cover his lost wages for the two years while he was suspended.

If Arsenal had decided to suspend Partey when he was first arrested in 2022 – and if he goes on to be convicted of no crime – the north London club could have faced a huge legal bill stretching into tens of millions of pounds.

Why did Arsenal open contract renewal talks with Partey?

Sky Sports News reported in April that Arsenal had opened talks with Partey over a new contract.

When asked if he wanted Partey to stay ahead of Arsenal’s final game of the season in May, Mikel Arteta said: “Yes…he’s a really important player for us.”

And in early June, when Arsenal announced their retained list, the club confirmed they were still in talks with Partey over a possible new deal.

There has been no comment from Arsenal on why they were negotiating with Partey while he was still under criminal investigation.

What have Arsenal said since Partey was charged?

Now that Partey has been charged, there is very little that Arsenal can publicly say. An Arsenal spokesperson said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”

The Football Association and the Premier League declined to comment.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation for the Met Police, 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 [email protected]”

What happens next?

Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday August 5 to answer the six charges against him. It will probably be 2026 before his case could be heard in a full court trial.

In the meantime, the 32-year-old is free to continue his playing career, if he can find a new club that wants to sign him on a free transfer – but any future employer will also know he has been charged with six counts of rape and sexual assault.