Moroccan footballer Achraf Hakimi faces trial over alleged rape
Moroccan footballer Achraf Hakimi is set to stand trial on charges of raping a woman at his home in Paris in February 2023, AFP reported on Tuesday.
That month, a woman went to a police station in Val-de-Marne, east of Paris, and said she had been raped.
She recounted that a month earlier, she met Hakimi on Instagram and went to his home in a chauffeur driven car ordered by the footballer, according to a police source cited by AFP at the time.
She said that Hakimi kissed her and committed acts of touching without consent, before raping her, the same source added.
The woman said that she managed to push him away and a friend came to pick her up.
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In March 2023, Hakimi was charged and placed under judicial supervision.
“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial, even though I contest it and everything proves that it is false,” Hakimi, who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) wrote on X.
“It is as unfair to the innocent as it is to sincere victims. I await this trial calmly, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.”
Fanny Colin, Hakimi’s lawyer, said: "A trial has been ordered based on an accusation that rests solely on the word of a woman who obstructed all investigations, refused all medical examinations and DNA tests, refused to allow the analysis of her mobile phone, and refused to name a key witness."
Colin said she would appeal the committal order. If it is denied, Hakimi will be tried by the Hauts-de-Seine departmental criminal court in Paris at an unspecified date.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, representing the civil party, said: "After three years of legal battle, my client welcomes with relief the indictment of Achraf Hakimi."
Pardo said the order was "perfectly consistent with the elements of the case and the requests of the prosecutor", who had asked for Hakimi to be indicted before the departmental criminal court in August.
"There are still circles where the MeToo movement has not broken through, with the world of men's football at the forefront," she added.
Born in Madrid to Moroccan parents, Hakimi is the captain of Morocco's national team. Widely considered one of the best full-backs in the world, he played a key role in Morocco's runs to the 2022 World Cup semi-final and the 2025 African Cup of Nations final.
Since 2021, he has played for PSG, where he has won multiple league titles and the Champions League. He previously played for Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
Hakimi trained for PSG on Tuesday and is expected to play on Wednesday in a Champions League play-off match against Monaco.
PSG declined to comment on the matter. "It's in the hands of the justice system," the club's coach Luis Enrique said at a press conference ahead of the Monaco match.
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