Thomas Party, active for Arsenal last season (pictured by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal defence midfielder Thomas Parte was charged with rape and sexual assault shortly after leaving Emirates Stadium at the end of his contract.
Ghana International was a key player for the gunners this summer before he was allowed to leave the club as a free agent.
But now there are several very serious allegations made against him, both his lawyer and Arsenal making statements about the story.
According to the BBC, the charges were five rapes and one of the sexual assaults involving three women, with alleged incidents between 2021 and 2022.
Thomas Parte’s lawyers say, but Arsenal will not comment on the case
Partey’s lawyers are quoted as saying the 32-year-old “welcome the opportunity to finally clear his name.”
Meanwhile, BBC’s Sami Mokbel quoted the following Arsenal statement on the incident…
“The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club cannot comment on the incident,” the North London Club said.
Part joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 and played regularly for Mikel Arteta’s side, except for a season that was largely disrupted by injuries in 2023/24.
But Arsenal fans will definitely be shaken by these very serious allegations, and it will be interesting to follow up on how the case develops from here.
For the time being, Det Supt Supt Andy Furphy has been leading the investigation, saying:
“We ask anyone affected by this incident or who has information to speak to our team. You can contact the detective about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk.”
