French defender Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty on Friday of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by a popular jury in the UK. The prosecutor has indicated that he will ask for a new trial for these last two events. The 28-year-old international defender, suspended for more than a year by his club Manchester City, had been on trial since early August at Chester Crown Court. He risked his life in prison.
Judge Steven Everett has indicated that Benjamin Mendy will stand trial again in England from June 26 on charges of rape and attempted rape, two charges on which the People’s Jury has not agreed after five months of hearing
a predator”
The footballer’s co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, presented as his promoter, was found not guilty on three counts of rape and the jury failed to reach a verdict on three other counts of rape and sexual assault. During the hearing, the prosecution presented Benjamin Mendy as a ” predator “having abused victims” vulnerable, terrified and isolated “. For his part, the international defender denied having been ” a danger to women “, claiming to have had only consensual sex.
The most expensive defender in history
Winner of the 2018 World Cup with the French national team, during which he was a substitute, Benjamin Mendy was jailed at the end of August 2021 and spent more than four months in pre-trial detention. Released in early January 2022, he had been placed under judicial supervision pending trial.
Trained at Le Havre, then unveiled at Marseille before being bought by Monaco, where the player spent just one season, Benjamin Mendy became the most expensive defender in history in 2017 when the Citizens paid £52 million ( around 61.4 million euros) to secure his. services.
Source : Le JDD
