Rape Charges: Benjamin Mendy Cries As Court Acquits Him

Finally, reprieve came the way of former Manchester City player and France international, Benjamin Mendy as he broke down in tears on Friday, after a United Kingdom (UK) jury cleared him of sex offences.

The acquittal ended a three-year court ordeal of the 28 years old Mendy as he put his head on his knees and wiped away tears on hearing the verdict.

The verdict was delivered at the end of a three-week trial at Chester Crown Court in northwest England with the jury of six men and six women taking about three hours and 15 minutes to reach their not guilty verdicts on one count of rape and another of attempted rape.

The footballer, who would have faced a lengthy jail term if convicted, had previously been cleared in January of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault following a six-month trial.

But jurors in that trial had been unable to reach a verdict on two other counts resulting in a retrial.

Mendy, whose contract with Manchester City expired at the end of June, had denied all the charges against him.

He was accused alongside Louis Saha Matturie, 41, an alleged “fixer”, who was found not guilty by the jury at the earlier trial of three counts of rape relating to two teenagers.

Jurors also failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against Matturie by five other women. However, Matturie will be facing a separate retrial later this year.

The prosecution had alleged that Mendy was a sexual “predator” who raped or sexually assaulted young women procured by Matturie at parties at his luxury home south of Manchester.

But Mendy denied ever forcing any woman into sex and both said any sexual activity they had with women was consensual.

Mendy, a record signing for a defender when he moved to Manchester City from French club Monaco in 2017, played 75 times for City.

Unfortunately, his playing time was limited by injuries and a loss of form. The last of his 10 caps for France came in November 2019, after the defender won the World Cup with the national side in 2018.

The extended trials meant he missed last season’s Manchester City’s treble of the English Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

In a statement after the Jury’s verdict, Mendy’s lawyers said he was “delighted” to have been acquitted in both trials.

The statement further said; “Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence in this trial rather than the rumour and innuendo that has followed this case from the outset.

“This is the second time that Mr Mendy has been tried and found not guilty by a jury. He is delighted that both juries reached the correct verdicts.

“It has been almost three years since the police started investigating this matter. Mr Mendy has tried to remain strong but the process has, inevitably had a serious impact on him.

“He thanks everyone who has supported him throughout this ordeal and now asks for privacy so he can begin rebuilding his life.” – With agency reports