January 13, (THEWILL) – Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in a trial at Chester Crown Court.
The jury was unable to reach verdicts on two other charges against Mendy, one count of rape and one count of attempted rape, involving two women in October 2018 and 2020, respectively. The trial, which began in August 2022, has resulted in Mendy facing a retrial in June over the charges the jury could not decide on.
His co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, has been found not guilty of three charges but will face a retrial on six more charges in September. Both men have denied all charges and claimed that all sexual activity was consensual.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Tomlinson, of Cheshire Constabulary, said in a statement: “We are committed to investigating all allegations of rape and sexual assault, no matter how long ago they took place. If you are a victim of this type of crime, please don’t suffer in silence, come forward and we will listen to you, we will take action, and we will provide you with the support that you need.”
Manchester City released a statement noting the verdict and stated that “Given there are open matters related to this case, the club is not in a position to comment further at this time.” The club suspended Mendy when he was arrested in August 2021 and stopped paying him in September 2021. His contract expires this summer.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
