Dutch striker Memphis Depay (29-Atletico Madrid) has come out in defense of French defender Benjamin Mendy (28-Invincible), who has been cleared of sexual assault charges after three years.
After nine charges of rape and attempted rape, months in custody and a year and a half of agonizing judicial control, Mendy was found not guilty on all counts by a Chester court on Thursday (local time).
Mendy broke down in tears as the jury read out their verdict of not guilty after a three-week trial. Mendy’s defense attorney, Jenny Wiltshire, said: “Benjamin tried to remain strong throughout the trial, but it inevitably had a serious impact on him. He now asks for privacy to rebuild his life.” 가입머니
Although Depay never played for the same club as Mendy, he was one of the first high-profile players to react to the verdict, asking on his personal channel, “What do we do now? Who will help this brother heal? Who will be held accountable for the damage done to him?” “Will Mendy be able to revive his career? Athletes spend years training to be a professional… What now? What do we do now?” he cried out on Mendy’s behalf.
His French teammate Paul Pogba (Juventus) responded, “Brother, I’m so happy for you, I hope your name is cleared from those who say bad things about you. Let’s see you on the pitch again.”
It’s unclear if Mendy will follow Pogba’s wishes and extend his career. Mendy has been sidelined for the past two years after being accused of sexual assault. He’s been in and out of court in his prime and is now free after his contract with City ended last month.
Mendy is a top-class left-back who joined City in 2017 for £52 million after spells at Le Havre, Marseille, and Monaco. He has led City to three league titles and two EFL titles.
He was capped by France at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He has 10 caps.
Mendy went on trial in August 2021, accused of sexually assaulting a woman at his home in October 2020 and attempting to sexually assault another woman a year later.
One of the accusers, 24-year-old Woman B, alleged that ‘Mendy threw his phone on the bed and when I went to retrieve it, he raped me even though I told him I didn’t want sex’.
The woman said at the trial that Mendy told her, ‘You’re shy. It’s okay. I’ve had sex with 10,000 women,’ the woman said.
In response, Mendy emphasized that the woman had agreed to ‘play’ on the bed and that he never had sex with women if they didn’t want it.
The defense thanked the jury for focusing on evidence and not hearsay.