The feeling in the football world is that the truth has caught up with Thomas Partey after the Ghanaian midfielder was officially charged by the Metropolitan police service with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Partey, 32, left Arsenal at the end of last month, ending a five-year stint since his £45 million move from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2020.
He is being charged with a case involving three women. Two counts of rape related to one, three counts of the same offence related to another woman and a the third has brought forth a count of sexual assault, with all incidences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022.
The former Almería man has faced serious allegations off the pitch due to the claims of sexual assault that, although never officially confirmed by name. Still, many had drawn conclusions based on timing and details reported in the media.
An official statement released by the police service on Friday afternoon reads;
“The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge a man after a file of evidence was submitted by detectives.
The Met has issued a charge and requisition to Thomas Partey, 32 (13/06/1992), of Hertfordshire, in connection with the following offences: Five counts of rape, One count of sexual assault.”
Thomas Partey | Not Guilty Until Proven Otherwise
Thomas Partey has been charged, but not convicted, a crucial distinction often lost in public discourse.
Beneath the noise and headlines lies a principle that football, like the wider society, must never abandon the presumption of innocence. Until otherwise proven, he remains innocent.
That uncomfortable truth, however, hasn’t stopped a barrage of moral verdicts from fans, pundits, and even sections of the media who believe his continued presence in Arsenal’s squad is a stain on the club’s values.
History reminds us that false accusations are not myths. Benjamin Mendy’s long and public legal battle ended in full acquittal, after the Frenchman spent more than two years away from the game, and the damage to his name was irreversible.
Former Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson spent years in limbo under investigation, only to be quietly cleared with no charges filed.
In both cases, reputations were destroyed long before the truth was restored. Such scenarios expose how fragile a player’s life becomes under the weight of accusation alone.
The former Arsenal player was reportedly due to get married to the mother of his daughter, Janine Mackson, in Spain this weekend before the official charge came in, and this incident will impact his future, even so as he is now a free agent.
While Thomas Partey deserves the wrath of the law if found guilty, he remains innocent until the court, with evidence, proves him otherwise.
But Arsenal…
It is understandable that every story has two edges. And while Partey deserves the shield of due process, questions must be asked of Arsenal, who kept playing him for more than three years since he was first accused, and then reportedly arrested.
The North Londoners even intended to extend his contract before expiration in June, but an agreement could not be found. All these despite the lingering allegations, feel morally tone-deaf.
Should a club of Arsenal’s stature gamble with the integrity of its badge? Football is not a courtroom, but its power to influence and reflect values cannot be ignored.
Manchester United, Everton, Manchester City, and other clubs refrained from playing their stars who were involved in such circumstances immediately from the outset, and Arsenal’s choice to play on with Partey raises questions about its ethics.
In addition, offering him a new deal, while no public clarification or conclusion has been drawn on the case, is a choice that courts scrutiny.
And the fact that he was not officially charged until a few days after his time ended with the club speaks volumes about their influence in the case.
Arsenal, according to reports, have chosen not to comment on the case because Partey is no longer on their books. How convenient of them to avoid a controversial topic.
Clubs cannot afford to be judge and jury, but neither can they ignore the weight their decisions carry in shaping narratives around accountability and respect.
Thomas Partey may be innocent, and if so, deserves both freedom and an apology from the world that rushed to condemn him. But if found guilty, every cheer in his name, every minute played, every pound earned, will be a grim reminder of how Arsenal, as an institution, should be ashamed.
Until the truth emerges, one thing must remain constant; fairness, and Arsenal have surely come short here. Not just to the claimed victims, but to the values football claims to uphold.
However, Thomas Partey winning the case could prove them much better than their counterparts, because they have shown they know their own employee, beyond the pictures painted on the outside.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
