Benjamin Mendy is now charged with seven rapes after one of the eight charges against the football world champion was dropped due to insufficient evidence provided by the prosecution, Judge Stephen Everett announced on Tuesday.

Louis Saha Matturie, co-accused, was also found not guilty, while he was accused of sexual assault and two rapes on the same woman.

The facts took place in July in August 2021.

The 28-year-old French defender, suspended for a year by Manchester City, has been on trial since early August in Chester, northern England, and remains charged with seven rapes, one attempted rape and one sexual assault against seven women.

Saha Matturie, who has no connection with former footballer Louis Saha, remains charged with six rapes and three sexual assaults.

Both men deny all charges.

Returning from the court's lunch break, prosecutor Timothy Cray announced to the court that he was giving up on obtaining a conviction for the facts concerning victim number seven, who had been questioned in the morning.

Video and doubts

Judge Stephen Everett then ordered the jury to enter a verdict of not guilty on the relevant counts.

Before the break, defense lawyers had seriously questioned the qualification of rape when questioning the victim in the morning.

According to the British press, the debates had in particular revolved around a video of the antics between the accuser and Louis Saha Matturie of which she denied having known the existence, but on which we would however see her looking several times in the direction of the telephone with which it had been recorded, held by Saha Matturie.

She had also been questioned about messages, especially while she was on vacation, that she had sent to Saha Matturie after the rapes of which she accused him.


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  • Sport

  • Benjamin Mendy

  • Justice

  • Rape

  • sexual assault

  • England

  • Soccer