French prosecutors have formally requested that Paris Saint-Germain and Moroccan international footballer Achraf Hakimi stand trial over an alleged rape incident from 2023—a charge the player strongly denies.
On Friday, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office confirmed to AFP that it had asked the investigating judge to refer the case to a criminal court. “It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the statement read.
The 26-year-old defender, who played a key role in PSG’s historic Champions League victory this year—scoring the opening goal in their 5-0 final win over Inter Milan—was initially charged in March 2023. The charge involves a 24-year-old woman who accused Hakimi of raping her at his residence in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt.
According to police reports, the woman had met Hakimi via Instagram in January 2023. On February 25, she traveled to his home in a taxi reportedly paid for by the footballer, while his wife and children were away. She later told police that Hakimi made non-consensual sexual advances and raped her. She managed to contact a friend, who came to pick her up.
Although the woman declined to file a formal complaint, prosecutors proceeded with the charges based on the evidence provided.
Following Friday’s development, Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, criticized the prosecution’s request as “incomprehensible and senseless” given the facts of the case. She also stated that Hakimi has remained calm throughout the proceedings and is prepared to appeal if necessary. Colin further claimed her client had been subjected to an “attempted extortion.”
However, the woman’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, pushed back on those claims, saying, “Nothing in this case suggests an attempted extortion.” She added that her client welcomed the decision with “immense relief” and warned against any smear campaigns targeting victims who come forward.
Born in Getafe, Spain, to Moroccan immigrant parents, Hakimi rose through the youth ranks at Real Madrid before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He later transferred to Inter Milan in 2020 and then to PSG in 2021, where he has become a key figure in the squad.
Hakimi also made history with the Moroccan national team, helping them become the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
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