Thomas Partey to deny two new rape allegations as court cases mount

Thomas Partey, the Ghanaian international footballer, is set to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape, bringing the total number of women accusing him to four.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who now plays for Spanish club Villarreal, was not present at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday for a preliminary hearing regarding the latest allegations. His lawyer indicated he will deny the charges, which relate to an incident in December 2020.

The new charges, filed last month, accuse Partey of raping a woman on two occasions on a single date in London. The court heard that the alleged victim came forward following widespread media coverage of previous accusations against the player.

Prosecutor Arabella MacDonald informed the court, “The complainant came forward after news of Mr Partey’s other matters were widely publicised.”

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram formally sent the two new counts to Southwark Crown Court, where they will be joined with his existing case. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 10, which Partey is expected to attend.

Existing Charges and Trial Date

The new accusations add to a significant legal battle already facing the former Arsenal star. Partey has previously been charged with five counts of rape against two other women, as well as one count of sexual assault against a third alleged victim. These alleged offences are said to have occurred in 2021 and 2022.

He has already entered not guilty pleas to all five of those original charges. A trial for those matters is scheduled to take place at Southwark Crown Court in November of this year.

The court granted Partey bail on Friday, with the standard condition that he must not contact the woman involved in the most recent allegation.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for a fee of around £45 million ($59.7m). He left the North London club at the end of his contract in June 2024 before signing with Villarreal. The 32-year-old has earned over 50 caps for Ghana, representing the Black Stars at both the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.