There has been a new development in the Benjamin Mendy case. While the Manchester City defender was charged at the end of December for a seventh alleged rape, The Sun reported on Tuesday that the full-back has been transferred to another prison. The former Monegasque has been held at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool since August and is now being held at Strangeways in Manchester.
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Change to ensure Mendy's safety
A source close to the legal case revealed the information to a The Sun journalist. In a statement reported by the media outlet, the source explained the reasons for the change:
Mendy and Matturie (the other defendant in the case) have both been moved because their cases are high profile. This can lead to security and prisoner management issues and it was felt that Category A conditions might be more conducive to dealing with any potential problems.
Read also: Benjamin Mendy's salary for prison work revealed
One of the toughest prisons in England
This change will have an impact on Benjamin Mendy's daily life. Strangeways is known as one of the toughest and most violent prisons in England. In 1990, a 25-day revolt broke out in Strangeways, resulting in many injuries and one death. A category A prison, it holds prisoners who have been determined to be a threat to society, the police or national security.
The Sun's source also reveals that the 2018 World Champion will face another concern with his experience as a Manchester City player:
His other problem will be the number of Man United fans in there. They'll be shouting his name for weeks, so he won't get much sleep, especially as he's accused of sexual offenses. There are a lot of Sky Blues fans in there too, but even the most passionate will find it hard to protect an alleged sex offender.
