Ghana international Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with his trial scheduled to begin on November 2, 2026.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the former Arsenal midfielder faces two counts of rape involving one woman and three counts involving a second woman, while the sexual assault charge relates to a third woman. Partey has denied all the charges against him.
The 32-year-old confirmed his plea at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, September 16, appearing in court wearing black trousers, a black quarter-zip jumper, and a blue jacket. The hearing came just hours after he featured for Villarreal in their UEFA Champions League match against Tottenham Hotspur, where he was jeered by Spurs fans throughout the game. Villarreal lost 1-0.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the first report was received in February 2022, and Partey was formally charged shortly after leaving Arsenal at the end of his contract in June this year.
He had previously appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he was granted bail under strict conditions, including a prohibition on contacting any of the women involved in the case.
Partey’s lawyer has maintained that the midfielder “denies all the charges against him” and “welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.”
Partey signed for Villarreal on August 7, 2025, a move that initially drew protests from some of the Spanish club’s supporters. His plea hearing had originally been scheduled for September 2 at the Old Bailey but was adjourned without explanation, leading to Wednesday’s appearance at Southwark Crown Court, less than a day after the Champions League fixture.
Concluding the hearing, Judge Christopher Hehir set out the timeline for the trial. “Your trial will take place at this court on November 2 of next year, 2026,” he told Partey. “I appreciate that is quite a long way in advance.
As you may appreciate the crown courts have a huge backlog of work which means that trials do take a long time to come on. Because you have bail effectively you are sitting behind a queue of people in prison who are waiting to be tried.”
