Former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has asked for privacy to begin “rebuilding his life” after he was found not guilty on a charge of rape and a separate charge of attempted rape.
The 28-year-old former French international walked free from Chester Crown Court in northwest England on Friday following the acquittal in his second trial stemming from two charges left undecided from a previous court proceeding.
Mendy was found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault at the same court in January. But jurors at the time failed to decide on two charges, resulting in the second trial.
Mendy faced allegations of multiple sexual offenses involving seven women over a period from October 2018 to August 2021. These accusations included eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, and sexual assault.
One of the women, referred to as Woman One, accused Mendy of attempting to rape her. This incident took place when she stayed at Mendy’s Cheshire mansion after a night out. According to her, he forcefully grabbed her on a bed, but Mendy claimed that he went to her room with a phone charger and propositioned her for sex. She declined, and he mentioned that he had received his friend’s permission, which upset her, leading her to leave. In the first trial, the jury did not reach a verdict on this count, but Mendy was found not guilty of attempted rape later.
Woman Four accused Mendy of raping her between his swimming pool and cinema room on July 23, 2021. According to her account, she went downstairs to change, and Mendy followed her.
The defense argued that she was coerced by the police and that they convinced her that her testimony would assist the other women’s cases. Mendy claimed that the sexual encounter was consensual and that both parties were enjoying it. He was found not guilty of this charge in January.
Mendy, who plays as a left-back, was suspended by Manchester City in August 2021 when the original charges against him were announced. His contract with the club expired at the end of the 2022-23 season.
He began his career playing professional leagues in France for Le Havre, Olympique de Marseille, and Monaco before moving to Britain to play for Manchester City.
