Thomas Partey Denies Two New Rape Counts as Trial Pushed to June 2027

LONDON, August 15, 2026 — Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is now facing a combined indictment of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after pleading not guilty to two new charges at Southwark Crown Court on April 13, 2026, with his trial date pushed back to June 8, 2027 and a next interim hearing set for October 2, 2026.

The 32-year-old Ghanaian international, who left Arsenal in 2024 and has since joined Villarreal in Spain, appeared in a London court in April to enter fresh not-guilty pleas to two additional counts of rape relating to a separate alleged victim in December 2020. The case is being heard at Southwark Crown Court and is expected to last up to eight weeks when it finally proceeds to a full jury trial.

What the Charges Against Thomas Partey Include

Partey faces a total of eight criminal charges in England. His lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire of Hickman & Rose, has consistently maintained that her client denies every allegation. “Thomas Partey denies all allegations made against him. He has fully cooperated with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service throughout their three-year investigation. He now looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name,” Wiltshire said in a statement first reported by the BBC.

The initial set of charges, brought in August 2025 and confirmed at a Westminster Magistrates’ Court hearing, comprised five counts of rape involving two women and one count of sexual assault involving a third woman, with the alleged incidents dating to between 2021 and 2022 in London. The Metropolitan Police were cited in court filings as describing three separate complainants for those original six counts.

April 2026 Hearing: Two New Rape Counts Added

On April 13, 2026, Partey returned to Southwark Crown Court to face two new counts of rape. According to The Guardian’s court report, the new allegations involve a woman who claims she was raped on two occasions on the same day in December 2020 — prior to the period covered by the original charges. Partey spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and pleas of not guilty, consistent with standard Crown Court procedure.

The presiding judge at the April hearing ordered that all seven counts of rape and the single count of sexual assault be heard together in a consolidated trial. At that point, the judge warned that the originally scheduled November 2026 trial date might need to shift to January 2027 due to the expanded indictment and court listing pressures.

Trial Now Set for June 8, 2027

Subsequent scheduling information, as reported by Yahoo Sports and confirmed by GhanaWeb in a court listings update, shows the trial has been pushed further to June 8, 2027. The trial is expected to run for approximately eight weeks before a jury at Southwark Crown Court. An interim case management hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, at which the court is expected to confirm the timetable and assign a trial judge.

Earlier procedural steps included a pre-trial listing hearing on May 14, 2026 and Partey’s initial not-guilty pleas entered on September 17, 2025 at Southwark Crown Court to the original five rape charges and one sexual assault charge. Wiltshire confirmed after the September 2025 hearing that her client “welcomes the chance to finally exonerate himself” at trial.

From Arsenal to Villarreal: Partey’s Career During the Legal Process

Partey joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in October 2020 for a reported £45 million fee — one of the biggest signings in Arsenal’s history at the time. He made more than 120 appearances for the Gunners across four seasons, though his time at the club was repeatedly disrupted by injury. Arsenal allowed his contract to expire in the summer of 2024, after which he moved to Villarreal in La Liga.

Despite the serious criminal proceedings in England, Partey has continued to play professional football in Spain. The case attracted renewed international attention in June 2026 during the FIFA World Cup, when Ghana faced England in the tournament, bringing the legal situation back into the spotlight across the global football community. Partey did not appear for Ghana in that match, having not been selected for the squad.

The case also briefly featured an unusual moment at the World Cup in late June 2026, when an incident involving a Ghana-England handshake drew attention in part because of the ongoing awareness of Partey’s legal situation, as reported by The Guardian on June 21, 2026.

Background: English Legal Process and What Comes Next

Under English law, Partey is presumed innocent unless and until a jury finds him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. At no point in the proceedings to date has any judge made a finding of guilt. The consolidation of all eight charges into a single trial is standard practice in cases where allegations involve separate complainants but relate to the same defendant.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Metropolitan Police have not issued detailed public statements on the evidential basis for the charges beyond what was confirmed in court. The BBC was among the first to report the original charges in August 2025, while Sky News covered the filing of the additional two rape counts in detail.

The next public milestone in the case is the October 2, 2026 case management hearing, after which the June 2027 trial date is expected to be formally confirmed. Until then, the court has imposed standard reporting restrictions that limit what information can be published about the complainants.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Thomas Partey, 32, formerly of Arsenal, now at Villarreal
• Total charges: 7 counts of rape and 1 count of sexual assault
• Alleged victims: four women in total
• Alleged offences: December 2020, and between 2021–2022, all in London
• All pleas: not guilty to every charge
• Trial date: June 8, 2027 at Southwark Crown Court (up to 8 weeks)
• Next hearing: October 2, 2026 (case management)
• Lawyer: Jenny Wiltshire, Hickman & Rose

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Sources

• Thomas Partey trial over rape and sexual assault … — skysports.com
• What we know about Thomas Partey’s seven rape charges and court date — express.co.uk
• Ex-Arsenal star to deny rape charges, court hears — bbc.com

Photo: YantsImages, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons