Former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been cleared of all rape charges after a retrial. The 28-year-old had been accused of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, but he was found not guilty on all charges.
Earlier this year, he had already been found not guilty on six counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
The jury, which had failed to agree on the two remaining charges, finally ruled and found him not guilty.
Mendy’s acquittal is a welcome relief for him and his family, but it comes at a high cost. The false accusations have ruined his career, and he is unlikely to ever play professional football again. He has also lost valuable time, having spent 16 months in prison awaiting trial.
The trauma of being falsely accused of rape is immense. Mendy has said that he was “broken” by the experience, and he has spoken of the difficulty of rebuilding his life. He is now facing the challenge of finding a new career and trying to clear his name.
Mendy’s case has also sparked a series of angry outbursts from fellow athletes, condemning such allegations that are aimed at tarnishing their names and washing their bright careers down the drain.
Memphis Depay on Mendy’s case: “All cases dismissed. So what are we doing now? Who is going to help this brother heal? Who’s going to be responsible for the damage on he’s name? How he’s going to have he’s career back? Many years of investment to become a professional football player…. Now what!? I’ve never touched on this subject because I didn’t know all the details, but I’ve spoken to him once true FaceTime while behind bars and faced him on the pitch a couple times. I didn’t see any evil in the man. We can’t accept this happening to us as athletes. Who’s going to stand up for us in the time of need not when the damage is already done? Don’t turn your head, people.”
The case of Benjamin Mendy highlights the serious consequences of false allegations of rape. These allegations can ruin lives, and they can also have a chilling effect on the reporting of genuine sexual assaults.
In January 2022, Mason Greenwood was accused of rape, assault, and domestic violence, which cost him playing time, destroyed his image, and cost him his career, yet the same woman just had a baby with him.
After Mason Greenwood, another Manchester United right forward, Anthony, has been accused of Domestic Violence and Assault by his former partner, Gabriela Cavallin.
Popular athletes are always in the news, of course, and often claim their fame gives accusations against them undeserved attention. Such cases raise a question: are athletes, especially those who play violent or aggressive sports, more prone than most people to assaults against women? Or is the public just quicker to banish them than hear them?
