Manchester City Defender Mendy Not Guilty of Rape

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty on six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault but faces a retrial on one count of rape and one attempted rape.

The trial at Chester Crown Court has lasted six months, with the defender pleading not guilty to all charges, and, after 14 days of deliberation, found him not guilty of almost all charges. The jurors were unable to a verdict on Mendy’s alleged attempted rape in 2018 and an alleged rape of another woman in October 2020 and Mendy will face a retrial in June.

The defender was arrested in August 2021 following a series of allegations and was subsequently suspended from the club. With two charges still outstanding, it is unlikely Mendy’s suspension will be lifted. In addition, the French star’s contract runs out in June, and it will be down to the club whether they want to offer him a new deal or release him.