In the summer of 2021, Benjamin Mendy is set to return to the field for a season like the others before being swept away by a legal whirlwind. A look at seventeen months of investigations and lawsuits.
15 August 2021: His last match against Manchester City.
On the first day of the Premier League, Josep Guardiola’s Citizens travel to Tottenham. Benjamin Mendy played 79 minutes (lost 1:0). His last under the Manchester City jersey. The general public does not yet know this. The player has already been accused of rape by at least two women.
26 August 2021: First prison sentence and suspension from the club.
Cheshire Police say Benjamin Mendy has been taken into custody on four counts of rape and sexual assault. At the same time, his club Manchester City announces the suspension of the player until further notice. The following day, the former Marseille defender was sent to Alcours prison in Merseyside.
January 7, 2022: Mendy is released on parole.
Since his probation, Benjamin Mendy has been charged with a total of seven rapes. Transferred to Strangeways maximum security prison in Manchester, the French defender was released on parole and placed under strict judicial control in his home.
May 23, 2022: Mendy pleads not guilty.
A new rape attempt has been added to the file. Unforgettable moment in English trials: Manchester City left-back pleads not guilty to nine counts of sexual offenses he is suspected of.
August 10, 2022: Trial begins
Originally scheduled for July, the trial of Benjamin Mendy and co-defendant Louis Saha Matthuri opens at Chester Crown Court. It is expected to last fifteen weeks. In the end, between October 2018 and August 2021, ten allegations of sexual assault were filed out of seven complainants.
September 13, 2022: Multiple charges dropped.
This is the first positive moment for Benjamin Mendy since the revelations began. Four charges reported by one of the applicants, including the charge of raping a French defense lawyer, were dropped.
November 7, 2022: “I have done nothing wrong with women”
For the first time since the start of the trial, the international tricolor is taking the floor to present its version of the facts. “There are many things in my public life that I have done wrong. But I have done nothing wrong with women,” he said at the helm. He will cry on the stand the next day.
December 5, 2022: Jury to debate
After reviewing the charges and defense, the jury retired to deliberate, finally four months after the trial opened.
January 13, 2023: Mendy is found not guilty of six rapes.
After fourteen days of deliberations interrupted by Covid-19 cases and end-of-year celebrations, the Manchester City defender has been found not guilty of six rapes against four women and sexual assault against a fifth. Two charges remain without verdict.
June 26, 2023: new trial
At the request of the prosecutor’s office, a new trial on the seventh charge of rape and attempted rape is due next June. The matter has not yet been settled.
Source: Le Parisien
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
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