“Alhamdulillah” – Benjamin Mendy responds after being found not guilty of rape and attempted rape

Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of rape and attempted rape by a jury at Chester Crown Court, NRTC can confirm.

The former Manchester City defender was accused of raping a 24-year-old woman in a bedroom at his home in Cheshire in October 2020. Mendy was also charged with the attempted rape of a 29-year-old woman at his home two years earlier.

He denied both charges and has now been found not guilty by the jury of six men and six women at Chester Crown Court. Defending himself, Benjamin Mendy stated that the experiences with the women had been consensual.

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Mendy had earlier been cleared of some alleged sexual offences

Earlier in 2023, Mendy had been cleared of sexual offences against a number of women. However, the jury were unable to reach verdicts on the two charges.

Meanwhile, during his retrial, prosecutors confirmed Mendy would host parties and social gatherings at his home ‘The Spinney’ while under contract at Manchester City.

During the hearing, it was learnt Mendy had met a British student in a nightclub in Barcelona back in 2017. This student got close with one of Mendy’s friends. She then arranged a meeting with him at the footballer’s home the following year.

After a night out she accused Mendy of attempted rape.

However, the footballer denied this. He told the jury: “I asked her if we are OK to have sex. She told me, ‘No’ because of my friend. “I was like, ‘It’s fine, my friend says it’s OK, so if you want, he’s OK with that. It’s when she started to be like that – upset, sad. I just left the room.”

Two years later, a woman, in company of friends, was at a bar near Mendy’s home. She and her friends were invited back to the footballer’s house.

She also alleged that Mendy took her phone from her and led her to a locked bedroom. While explaining, it was heard that Mendy threw the phone onto a bed. It was said that as she went to retrieve it, Mendy allegedly raped her.

Mendy informed the jury the two had a consensual sexual encounter and later swapped details on Snapchat.

Mendy says he will never force a woman to have sex with him

The left-back was questioned about whether he had held her down or forced her onto the bed. He responded: “No.”

He told the jury: “I will never force to have sex with a woman.”

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Benjamin Mendy emerged the English Premier League’s most expensive defender in 2017. Manchester City had paid a whooping £52m to Monaco for his services. He won three titles with City and was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018.

Following the expiration of his contract at the end of June, Mendy was released by the club.

Reading a statement outside the court on behalf of Mendy, his solicitor Jenny Wiltshire said: “Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence of this trial, rather than the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset.

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