(The Guardian)Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy has been charged with four counts of rape, Cheshire Constabulary has confirmed. City have also suspended the France international pending an investigation.
In a statement, the force said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Cheshire Constabulary to charge a man in connection with allegations of sexual assault. Benjamin Mendy, aged 27, has been charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
“The charges relate to three complainants over the age of 16 and are alleged to have taken place between October 2020 and August 2021. Mendy has been remanded in police custody and is set to appear at Chester magistrates’ court on Friday 27 August.
“Cheshire Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service would like to remind everyone that criminal proceedings against Mendy are live and that he has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice ongoing proceedings.”
Mendy joined City from Monaco for £52m in 2017 – a world-record fee for a defender at the time. City added in a statement: “Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation. The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete.”