Basically, the guy’s been hit with some serious accusations five counts of rape and one of sexual assault, involving three separate women. The alleged incidents stretch from 2021 to 2022. Two rape charges are about one woman, three more are about another, and there’s a sexual assault charge for a third. Partey’s denying everything, flat-out. His lawyer dropped the usual statement about cooperating with police, wanting to clear his name, yada yada.
Why did this whole thing take forever to go public?
Yeah, that’s the million-pound question. Partey actually got picked up by the police way back in July 2022. Since then, the Met’s been digging into it for ages. The first time the police sent anything official to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was December 2024 eighteen months after the original arrest. Wild, right? After more detective work, they sent an updated case file in April, and then, finally, the guy got charged two months later.
Turns out, rape cases are super tough to prosecute. CPS will only go ahead if they think there’s a real shot at conviction once everything’s in the open. They didn’t think they had enough until this spring. Also, the numbers are kinda bleak over 71,000 rape cases reported in 2024, but just 2.7% ended with anyone actually being charged. Investigations like this? They’re usually super slow and sensitive.
Did they wait for his Arsenal contract to end before charging him? Sounds fishy, huh?
Loads of people online are suspicious about the timing like, literally days after his Arsenal deal finished, the charges dropped. But as far as the official story goes, CPS and the cops claim they don’t care about football contracts or anyone’s job. They say they pull the trigger on charges only when they think they’ve got enough evidence, period. Plus, the CPS isn’t supposed to adjust its timeline just to mess with someone’s life or career.
Could the police rush things if they thought someone was about to leave the country? Sure. But there’s nothing to suggest that’s what happened here. Partey can now sign with any club he wants, but that’s just how the timing shook out.
Why was everyone talking about Partey online, but you never saw his name in the press?
This bit’s all about UK law. If you’re a victim of a sexual crime, you get permanent anonymity nobody can name you, ever, guilty or not. But the accused? No such luck. Still, in 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled that if you’re under investigation but not charged, you’ve got a right to privacy. That made the media super jumpy about naming famous people under investigation they could get sued for breaking privacy rules.
So, while everyone on social media was dropping Partey’s name and fans were chanting about it in stadiums, the news channels and papers were stuck. They couldn’t say a word until charges were official. Honestly, the whole thing was kind of surreal everyone knew, but officially, nobody could say anything. Welcome to modern British justice, I guess.
Once Partey got charged, the press could finally name him without worrying about blowback or breaking the law. From there, everyone knew what he was accused of.
Why didn’t Arsenal just bench Partey?
Big question. Honestly, only Arsenal can really answer that, and so far, mum’s the word.
Look, the club’s his employer they’ve gotta look out for him and play fair. That’s just basic law stuff: innocent until proven guilty and all that. But, they also gotta protect everyone else who works there. Sometimes, those things clash big time.
Apparently, Arsenal stuck to whatever legal advice they were given after Partey got arrested. Word is, they put extra safeguarding steps in place to make staff feel safe. Still, when it comes to how bosses should handle sexual assault allegations, the rules are anything but black and white.
If you’re running a club or any company really and your star gets accused of something serious, you’ve got a lot to weigh up before suspending them. Reputation’s a huge part. Imagine the fallout if a player was convicted down the line and you just let him keep playing like nothing happened. Especially with women fans how’s that gonna look?
The law says everyone should get equal treatment. Picture some random office worker arrested for rape should they get a different deal than, say, a footballer? Supposed to be the same, right? But in football, it gets messy.
Take Manchester City and Benjamin Mendy he got suspended without pay when he was charged in 2021. Turns out, he was acquitted two years later and then took City to court… and won £11 million for lost wages. Ouch.
So if Arsenal had benched Partey right after his arrest in 2022 and he walked away with no conviction? They could’ve ended up forking out millions in damages.
Why did Arsenal even start new contract talks with Partey?
Back in April, Sky Sports said Arsenal was chatting to Partey about a new deal. When someone asked Arteta if he wanted to keep Partey before the last game of the season, he basically said, “Yep, he’s important.” Then in June, Arsenal’s retained list showed they were still talking to him.
Why? Your guess is as good as mine Arsenal’s not said a thing about why they were negotiating while he was still under investigation.
What’s Arsenal said since the charges?
Not much, honestly. Once the charges dropped, Arsenal kept it short: “The player’s contract ended June 30. Ongoing legal proceedings mean we can’t comment.” That’s all you’re getting.
FA and Premier League? Both zipped it.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who’s leading the police side, said their priority’s supporting the women who came forward. If you’ve been affected or know anything, drop them an email at CIT@met.police.uk.
So… what now?
Partey’s got a court date at Westminster Magistrates on August 5 to answer six charges. But don’t expect any big trial till probably 2026. These things drag.
For now, the guy’s technically free to sign with any club that’ll have him he’s a free agent. But let’s be real: any team eyeing him knows exactly what’s hanging over his head. That’s a lot of baggage, no matter how good your first touch is.