Arsenal Release Statement After Thomas Partey is Charged With Rape and Sexual Assault

Arsenal have given a statement in response to Thomas Partey being charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The Ghanaian’s contract expired five days ago, and he’s since become a free agent.

Partey, who spent five years with the Gunners, was allegedly arrested in July 2022. The Telegraph claims that the Premier League club was “aware of the ongoing investigation for three years”.

The 32-year-old is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday (August 5) after being charged following allegations made by three separate women. He has been a regular at the Emirates throughout the investigation, making 52 appearances across competitions last season.

Arsenal Respond To Partey Charges

Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport has posted a statement from Arsenal concerning the situation and their position:

“The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”

Dino Nocivelli, a lawyer representing sexual abuse survivors, said that the fact that the player was able to continue working during the investigation sent the wrong message. He insisted he should have been suspended until the case reached its conclusion.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020 for £45m and has been a first-team player since that transfer. He was in talks over an extension but his contract was allowed to expire a matter of days before he was charged.