Benjamin Mendy was largely acquitted on Friday in a high-profile rape case. The Manchester City defender had been charged by five women over lockdown parties at his mansion in Cheshire, England.
Mendy, 28, was acquitted by Chester Court on six counts of rape and one of assault. A second criminal trial will follow, because the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict in two other cases. According to English media, Mendy was emotional when he heard the verdict.
The former France international was arrested in August 2021 after being accused of rape by several women. That would have happened between October 2020 and August of that year. The women were over eighteen years old. After six months in pre-trial detention, Mendy was released on bail.
Mendy acknowledged having sex with the women, but said it was consensual. This happened during illegal parties during the corona period. A friend of Mendy’s would have brought the women. The man was also charged with rape, but was also acquitted.
Mendy was one of Manchester City’s big stars before the criminal case. The club took over the left back from AS Monaco in 2017 for around 60 million euros. This made him the most expensive defender ever at the time. A year later he became world champion with France.
Mendy’s contract with Manchester City expires on June 30. The Premier League club declined to comment on the acquittal. The club has suspended Mendy indefinitely since his arrest. He played his last game on August 15, 2021.
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