Benjamin Mendy, a Manchester City football player, has been acquitted of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following a trial at Chester Crown Court, confirmed by a court official to CNN.
According to the court official, the jury was unable to reach verdicts on one count of rape and another of attempted rape. Mendy will face a retrial in June concerning these unresolved charges.
Mendy’s friend and co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, was acquitted of three counts of rape, but the jury couldn’t decide on three other rape charges and three counts of sexual assault. Matturie will face trial again in September, as reported by the Guardian.
Throughout the trial, Mendy has consistently denied all allegations. Mendy and Matturie were accused of misconduct involving young women at gatherings held at Mendy’s Cheshire residence, including during Covid-19 lockdowns in the UK. The incidents in question occurred in 2018 and 2020.
The verdicts of not guilty were unanimous and delivered on Wednesday, but reporting was delayed until the jury completed deliberations on the remaining charges. In response to the verdict, Manchester City FC issued a statement on Friday acknowledging the jury’s decision.
They emphasized that due to ongoing legal matters, the club refrains from further comment at this time. Mendy was suspended by Manchester City in August 2021 when the initial charges were brought against him.