Sky Sports activities appears on the key questions surrounding the case of Thomas Partey, the previous Arsenal participant who has been charged over a number of counts of rape and sexual assault.
What has Partey been accused of?
Thomas Partey was charged on July 4 with 5 counts of rape and one depend of sexual assault, towards three completely different ladies.
Two of these counts of rape are towards one complainant, three additional counts of rape are towards a second complainant, and the sexual assault cost is alleged to have been dedicated towards a 3rd.
The entire incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. Partey has denied all the expenses towards him.
A press release from Partey’s lawyer mentioned: “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 lengthy for expenses to be introduced?
Partey was first arrested on suspicion of rape three years in the past in July 2022. The Metropolitan Police have been finishing up a full investigation since then.
Sky Sports activities Information has found that the primary report on the case was handed from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service on December 27 2024 – 18 months after Partey was initially arrested.
Following additional investigations, an up to date file on the case was lodged with the CPS in April. Two months after that, Partey was charged.
Rape instances are a number of the most troublesome prison instances to prosecute, and the CPS will solely cost somebody in the event that they imagine there’s a “realistic possibility of conviction” when all of the proof is positioned earlier than a jury.
It was solely as soon as the CPS had reviewed the police’s proof towards Partey in April that they felt this threshold had been reached, and there was sufficient info to cost him with the alleged crimes.
Two months in the past, Rape Disaster revealed statistics that confirmed there have been 71,227 instances of rape reported to the police in 2024. The charity believes many extra assaults go unreported.
Conviction charges in England and Wales for rape and sexual assault are amongst the bottom for any crime – solely 2.7 per cent of these 70,000+ instances ended up with a suspect being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Investigations into sexual crimes can usually be lengthy and delicate processes.
Was it a coincidence that Partey was charged simply days after his Arsenal contract expired?
The timing of the costs – lower than every week after his contract at Arsenal expired – has been the topic of intense dialogue on social media.
There was no additional remark from the Met Police or the CPS, who’re prohibited from making any assertion as soon as a authorized case is “active” – and when it’s prone to find yourself in a courtroom case.
However the CPS is, importantly, unbiased of the police and makes its charging choices based mostly solely on the idea of the proof it sees. The CPS by no means alters its timescales to go well with a defendant, or to slot in with their employment priorities.
As quickly because the CPS is happy there’s a “realistic prospect of conviction”, it would convey forth a cost, or set of expenses. That’s precisely what occurred within the case of Partey.
The police can speed up their investigations for various causes – one among which might, doubtlessly, be as a result of a suspect could have plans to depart the nation sooner or later, and so they really feel it could possibly be troublesome to get the person to return to the UK to face future expenses.
However there isn’t any suggestion that’s the case with Partey, though the Ghana worldwide is now free to hitch some other membership worldwide, following the expiration of his Arsenal contract.
Why could not Partey be named earlier than he was charged?
Below UK regulation, the alleged victims of sexual crimes are entitled to lifetime anonymity beneath the regulation: they can’t be recognized at any stage – even when the individual accused is finally discovered not responsible.
In contrast, people who find themselves arrested and accused of sexual crimes are usually not granted anonymity.
Nevertheless, in February 2022, the UK Supreme Court docket dominated definitively that an individual who’s beneath prison investigation has an inexpensive expectation of privateness previous to a cost.
That led to an enormous change in how the media reported high-profile people who had been being investigated by the police, for worry that the newspaper or broadcaster could be sued for breaching that particular person’s privateness.
And so, whereas the accusations towards Partey had been well-known and being mentioned brazenly on social media, Sky Sports activities Information – like different established broadcasters and information organisations – weren’t ready to take action.
That led to a weird state of affairs the place some opposing followers could possibly be heard inside stadiums taunting Partey throughout Arsenal video games with references to his police investigation, though he couldn’t be named within the media.
As soon as he was charged, the media was allowed to determine Partey at that time with out danger of reprisals, and report what he has been accused of.
Why did not Arsenal droop Partey?
This can be a key query, and finally, it’s a determination solely Arsenal can reply. They haven’t achieved so, but.
As Partey’s employer, the membership had an obligation of care over him and an obligation to deal with him pretty – everybody on this nation is taken into account harmless except they’re confirmed responsible in a courtroom of regulation.
However the membership additionally had an obligation of care over different workers, and generally in regulation – the rights of 1 get together can battle with the rights of one other.
Sky Sports activities Information has been instructed Arsenal did comply with the authorized recommendation that they had been given from the time Partey was first arrested – which included ensuring enough safeguarding procedures had been in place to reassure different Arsenal members of workers.
The authorized and ethical obligations of an employer with regards to allegations of sexual crimes towards an worker, is much from clear lower.
Within the case of high-profile people, an organization (or soccer membership) will weigh up various elements earlier than deciding whether or not to droop them.
One of many issues is the membership’s repute. How damaging would it not be if a participant goes on to be convicted of a sexual crime and their membership determined to not droop them till they had been legally sure to take action? How would such a call be seen by, for instance, that membership’s feminine followers?
The precept of regulation is that everybody who’s accused of against the law needs to be handled equally and pretty. Ask your self this query: if an workplace employee is arrested on suspicion of rape, ought to they be handled in another way to somebody within the public eye – like a pop star or knowledgeable footballer?
The regulation says no – everybody needs to be handled the identical. However for a soccer membership, the choice whether or not or to not droop a participant is a way more difficult determination.
Manchester Metropolis determined to droop Benjamin Mendy with out pay when he was charged with a number of counts of sexual assault in August 2021.
Mendy was subsequently acquitted of all these expenses towards him in July 2023, and he then took Metropolis to an employment tribunal. Mendy finally received £11m in damages from the membership, to cowl his misplaced wages for the 2 years whereas he was suspended.
If Arsenal had determined to droop Partey when he was first arrested in 2022 – and if he goes on to be convicted of no crime – the north London membership might have confronted an enormous authorized invoice stretching into tens of hundreds of thousands of kilos.
Why did Arsenal open contract renewal talks with Partey?
Sky Sports activities Information reported in April that Arsenal had opened talks with Partey over a brand new contract.
When requested if he needed Partey to remain forward of Arsenal’s remaining recreation of the season in Could, Mikel Arteta mentioned: “Yes…he’s a really important player for us.”
And in early June, when Arsenal introduced their retained record, the membership confirmed they had been nonetheless in talks with Partey over a attainable new deal.
There was no remark from Arsenal on why they had been negotiating with Partey whereas he was nonetheless beneath prison investigation.
What have Arsenal mentioned since Partey was charged?
Now that Partey has been charged, there’s little or no that Arsenal can publicly say. An Arsenal spokesperson mentioned: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”
The Soccer Affiliation and the Premier League declined to remark.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who’s main the investigation for the Met Police, mentioned: “Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.
“We might ask anybody who has been impacted by this case, or anybody who has info, to talk with our group. You’ll be able to contact detectives about this investigation by emailing [email protected]“
What occurs subsequent?
Partey is scheduled to look at Westminster Magistrates Court docket on Tuesday August 5 to reply the six expenses towards him. It’ll in all probability be 2026 earlier than his case could possibly be heard in a full courtroom trial.
Within the meantime, the 32-year-old is free to proceed his enjoying profession, if he can discover a new membership that wishes to signal him on a free switch – however any future employer may even know he has been charged with six counts of rape and sexual assault.
