Benjamin Mendy has been cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The jury of his trial could not decide on two other charges against the Manchester City footballer.
While unanimity was impossible to find, the judge in charge of the case accepted a decision taken by majority. This Friday, January 13, and while a very heavy sentence was expected, the world champion was found not guilty of six rapes while the seventh has not yet had a verdict. The footballer will have to face a second trial regarding the accusation of rape of a woman and attempted rape of another.
As a reminder, the footballer faced ten charges and pleaded not guilty to all of them: eight charges of rape, one for attempted rape and one for sexual assault. The alleged facts would have taken place between October 2018 and August 2021 in the mansion of Benjamin Mendy, located forty-five minutes from Manchester, the club for which he played at the time. He is appearing alongside another man, Louis Saha Matturie who was found not guilty of three rapes while the jury failed to reach a verdict on six other counts. In custody for several months, Benjamin Mendy’s future may lie outside prison.
