Benjamin Mendy’s trial begins

Accused of eight counts of rape, one attempted rape and one sexual assault to which he pleaded not guilty, the world soccer champion Benjamin Mendy appeared Wednesday on the first day of a trial scheduled for more than three months in Chester, in northwest England.

The 28-year-old French defender, who has been suspended for a year by Manchester City, has been accused by seven women and denies ten charges in relation to incidents which allegedly took place between October 2018 and August 2021 at his home in Prestbury , Cheshire. .

Arriving at the court in Chester, he took his place in the dock looking relaxed, wearing a midnight blue suit and tie. He spoke in English to confirm his identity and an interpreter was present by his side.

Benjamin Mendy was tried alongside another man, Louis Saha Matturie – no relation to former soccer player Louis Saha – who also sat in court, wearing a white shirt and khaki green suit.

Louis Saha Matturie is being prosecuted for eight rapes and four sexual assaults on eight women between July 2012 and August 2021. He has also pleaded not guilty.

His trial was originally scheduled to begin on July 25, but was postponed for two weeks. It is scheduled to last fifteen weeks, according to the court. The first days of this lengthy trial are devoted to the selection of jurors and the organization of hearings, before returning next week to the heart of the matter.

He hasn’t played in a year

Mendy left the pitch for almost a year for the dock and prison cells in Liverpool and Manchester, where he spent more than four months (from August 2021 to January 2022) in pre-trial detention. Released in early January, he was placed under judicial supervision pending trial.