Thomas Partey — facing seven criminal charges including five counts of rape in a London court — was filmed interacting with children at Ghana's World Cup training base in Rhode Island on Saturday. The optics could hardly be worse. The safeguarding questions they raise are legitimate and serious.
Just 24 hours after Canada denied Partey entry on the grounds of "maintaining safety and security", the midfielder was captured on video at a Community Day event at Bryant University in Smithfield, engaging with girls in pink shirts while a group of boys looked on. He then left the pitch as some team-mates took part in a Q&A with the children.
What actually happened at Bryant University
The Athletic's investigation into the situation on campus paints a picture of safeguarding arrangements that didn't hold up under scrutiny. Bryant University had insisted a "private and secure area" would keep Ghana's squad separated from the general campus population. The reality on Friday was different.
- Dozens of school girls walked unattended through car park sections that fell inside the designated off-limits zone
- Around 50 girls in their early teens passed within yards of Ghana's training pitch to attend a hockey camp on a neighbouring field
- Several assistant coaches at the hockey camp told The Athletic they had no idea Partey or Ghana were on campus, and weren't informed of the charges he faces
- The Community Day event — where Partey came into direct contact with children — took place without parents apparently being notified of his presence or his legal situation
Bryant acknowledged it knew about the charges. Its statement pointed to "enhanced security measures" coordinated with FIFA, Rhode Island State Police, and local police. But the university didn't respond when asked what safeguarding procedures specifically governed the Community Day, or whether parents were informed.
An anonymous university official told The Athletic that hosting Ghana had been assessed with Partey's status in mind — the plan was to keep players in a bubble, arriving via team bus into an enclosed building with no student contact. That plan clearly didn't survive contact with a Community Day.
The legal backdrop
Partey was first charged in July 2025 with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to three women by London's Metropolitan Police. He pleaded not guilty. In February this year, two new rape counts relating to a fourth woman were added — he pleaded not guilty to those in April. His lawyer says he "welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name." His trial, originally scheduled for November, may now be pushed back to early 2027.
Ghana's government is pursuing legal action in Canada's federal court over the visa denial, calling it "extremely unfair" given the absence of any conviction. Canada's immigration authority has been blunt in response: "Hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws. Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually."
Partey will stay behind in Providence while Ghana travel to Toronto for their opening group game against Panama on Wednesday. He's eligible for their fixtures against England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27 — both in the United States. Whether Ghana, FIFA, or the host venues allow that to proceed without a more serious safeguarding review is now very much an open question.
Bryant University's statement closed with a promise to "support a safe and secure World Cup 2026." One of the assistant coaches on campus put it more plainly: "Talking to the other counsellors, not a lot of people knew about the allegations. Some people weren't even aware Ghana was on campus until they got there."
