The former Arsenal midfielder will play his first game in the UK since being charged with five counts of rape
Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey will appear in court on rape and sexual assault charges
Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey will appear in court on rape and sexual assault charges (Reuters)
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Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey is set to appear in court the day before his new team, Villareal, face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.
Partey was charged four days after his Arsenal contract expired this summer with five counts of rape against two women. He is also accused of sexual assault against a third woman.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, while he was an Arsenal player.
Partey had initially been due to appear at the Old Bailey this Tuesday, but the case was adjourned to Monday 15 September without explanation.
Villareal, for whom Partey has made three top-flight appearances as a substitute, then visit Tottenham for their Champions League fixture on Tuesday 16 September. The 32-year-old is likely to receive a hostile reception at the club should he be included in the squad.
The Ghana international was allowed to move to Spain and sign for Villareal under his bail conditions, with his transfer to La Liga met by protests both within Spain and by Arsenal supporters’ groups.
A spokeswoman for Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence, who protested outside his appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in August, said: “We protested outside almost every home game last season because we wanted to disrupt the wall of silence that the club has put up around this issue, and we did that because we want to support our club and feel happy and comfortable supporting our club.”
His bail conditions include that he cannot contact any of the three alleged victims and that he must notify police of any permanent changes of address or international travel.
Partey’s lawyer Jenny Wiltshire previously said he “denies all the charges against him”, adding he welcomed “the opportunity to finally clear his name”.