Monday, July 21, 2025 - Arsenal
coach, Mikel Arteta has defended the club's handling of Thomas
Partey, who was charged with five counts of r@pe and one count of s£xual
ass@ult days after his contract at the Emirates expired.
According to Arteta, the club '100 per cent' followed the
'right processes' amid widespread criticism following the revelation that
complaints were made about the midfielder almost a year before his first arrest
in 2022.
Partey is accused of attacking three women between 2021
and 2022. He was first arrested in July 2022, but The
Telegraph claimed to have seen definitive evidence that Arsenal, the FA,
and the Premier League were aware of concerns as early as September
2021.
No formal investigation was launched in the wake of that,
because they fell outside the FA's safeguarding responsibility for adults and
minors 'at risk' in the sport.
Partey left Arsenal last month following the expiry of his
contract, with reports suggesting negotiations over a new deal had stalled
weeks earlier.
Speaking ahead of the start of his side's pre-season tour
of Asia, Arteta refused to comment on the 'very complicated' legal matter
but did maintain that the club acted in the correct manner.
As reported by ESPN, when pushed on whether he believes the
club followed the right processes, Arteta replied: '100 per cent.'
The charges against Partey follow a three-year investigation
by Scotland Yard and came just five days after his Arsenal contract expired on
June 30.
He is currently without a club after five Premier League
seasons at the Emirates.
The Ghanaian international midfielder is accused of five
counts of r@pe. Two counts of r@pe relate to one woman, and three counts of
r@pe relate to a second woman.
The one count of s£xual ass@ult relates to a third woman.
None of the alleged victims can be named. He will appear at Westminster
Magistrates' Court on August 5.
The Crown Prosecution Service has said the charges came
after it 'carefully reviewed a comprehensive file of evidence'.
Partey 'denies all the charges against him' and 'welcomes
the opportunity to finally clear his name', his lawyer said.
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation into Thomas
Partey began in February 2022 after officers first received a report of r@pe.
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