Manchester United player Mason Greenwood has rape, assault charges dropped against him

Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has hadall charges ofattempted rape, assault and coercive control against him dropped, a little more than a year after his arrest.

Greater Manchester Police said all the judicial proceedings against the 21-year-old had been discontinued.

"Given the significant media coverage of this case, it is only fair that we share the news that the 21-year-old man, who had been arrested and charged in connection with an investigation opened in January 2022, no longer faces criminal proceedings in relation to this," saidMichaela Kerr, GMP's head of Public Protection.

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The Crown Prosecution confirmed the decision, according to The Sun as key witnesses had withdrawn from the case.

“We have a duty to keep cases under continuous review. In this case a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction," said a spokesperson.

The spokesperson added the decision had been explained to all parties involved.

"In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case. We have explained our decision to all parties."

“We would always encourage any potential victims to come forward and report to police and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”

Read more:Mason Greenwood's girlfriend accuses Man Utd star of physical violence and sexual assault, shares pictures

Why was Greenwood arrested?

The footballer was arrested in January last year after being accused of rape and assault by his ex-girlfriend.

She had taken to social media to release horrific pictures of bruises on her body and blood dripping out of her nose, caused allegedly by Greenwood.

In an audio leaked by the ex-girlfriend, Greenwood could be allegedlyheard threatening to kill her for refusingsex.

After being arrested, Greenwood was let out on bail. He appeared in the court in November last year and a trial date had been set for November, later this year.

Read more:Manchester United youngster Mason Greenwood released on bail after attempt to rape charge

After the allegations surfaced, Greenwood was suspended by United but remains a player of the team, pending the judicial process.

However,Nike suspended and later terminated its sponsorship deal with him while Electronic Arts (EA) confirmed his removal from active squads on its FIFA 22 game.

Greenwood last made an appearance for the Red Devils on January 22, 2022 against West Ham United. Since then, he has not been seen in any competitive action.

So far, Greenwood has made 129 appearances for United, scoring 35 goals in the process. He joined the United academy at the age of six.

(With inputs from agencies)

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