Partey pleads not guilty to seven rape counts, trial delayed

Thomas Partey pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court to two more rape allegations, bringing the case against the 32-year-old former Arsenal midfielder to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women.

The new allegations concern a woman said to have been raped twice in London on a day in December 2020. The two charges were announced in February 2026, adding to the earlier case that was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service on July 4, 2025. Those earlier charges covered five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to three separate women, with alleged offences said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. Police said the investigation began in February 2022 after they first received a rape report.

Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, said all of the allegations would be tried together. He warned that the trial could be delayed until January 2027, a sign of how complex the proceedings have become as the number of complainants and alleged incidents has grown. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for May 14, 2026. Partey is on bail and must not contact the complainants, directly or indirectly.

The Crown Prosecution Service said prosecutors had reviewed a comprehensive file of evidence before authorising the charges. Jaswant Narwal, speaking for the CPS, reminded the public that Partey has the right to a fair trial. The service also reiterated that victims of sexual offences have lifelong anonymity in the press, a protection meant to limit further harm while the courts move through a case that has drawn intense public attention.

The proceedings also place scrutiny on the institutions around elite sport. Arsenal issued a brief statement after the 2025 charges, while Villarreal’s signing of Partey in 2025 drew criticism and public debate because the criminal case was already ongoing. As the case moves toward the May hearing, the court’s task is not only to test the evidence but to do so in a way that protects complainants, preserves fairness for the defendant and keeps the process from being overtaken by the player’s profile.