In a high-profile case, Manchester City and France football player Benjamin Mendy is currently facing a retrial for charges of rape and attempted rape. The jury heard that Mendy, who was 28 at the time, is accused of attacking a woman, then 24, at his £4m mansion in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, in October 2020. Additionally, he faces a charge of attempted rape involving another woman, who was 29 at the time, and claims that he attacked her at his home two years prior. Mendy has denied both charges.
The trial judge, Stephen Everett, informed the jury that Mendy had previously been found not guilty of sexual offenses alleged by other women in a trial that concluded in January. However, the jury in that trial was unable to reach a verdict on the current charges, leading to the retrial. Judge Everett emphasized that the jurors should base their decision solely on the evidence presented during the current trial, cautioning against seeking information from the previous trial or media coverage.
During the trial, the prosecutor, Benjamin Aina KC, outlined the case against Mendy. Aina stated that Mendy, as a footballer contracted to Manchester City FC, hosted parties and social gatherings at his residence in Mottram St Andrew, where both male and female guests would attend. The prosecution alleged that on two occasions, Mendy took advantage of female guests. One woman, referred to as woman A, alleged that Mendy attempted to force himself on her, while woman B accused him of raping her in one of the bedrooms.
According to the prosecution’s account, woman A, a UK student, met Mendy in a nightclub in Barcelona in late 2017 and became acquainted with one of his friends. A year later, she visited the accused’s friend, and they all stayed at Mendy’s house after a night out. The following morning, while woman A was taking a shower, Mendy appeared uninvited and allegedly attempted to rape her on the bed. In the case of woman B, she was invited to Mendy’s home two years after the first incident. Mendy allegedly took her phone, led her to his locked bedroom, and despite her objections, proceeded to rape her.
Mendy has maintained that any sexual contact in both instances was consensual and has denied any wrongdoing. The trial is currently ongoing. The case has drawn significant attention due to Mendy’s high-profile status as a football player. It remains to be seen how the jury will assess the evidence and reach a verdict in this retrial, which follows the previous trial’s inability to reach a decision on the charges against Mendy.
