Achraf Hakimi, defender for Paris Saint‑Germain, is set to stand trial in France over allegations that he raped a young woman, his lawyer and a French prosecutor confirmed on Tuesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the case stems from a complaint filed in February 2023 by a 24-year-old woman who told police in Val-de-Marne, southeast of Paris, that the Moroccan international raped her at his residence.
Hakimi, now 27, has denied the allegation and insisted he is innocent.
“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial, even though I contest it and everything proves that it is false,” he wrote on X on Tuesday. “I await this trial calmly, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.”
His lawyer, Fanny Colin, confirmed that judicial authorities had ordered the trial, while prosecutors in Nanterre also verified the development.
Colin criticised the basis of the case, saying: “A trial has been ordered on the basis of 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 her mobile phone to be examined, and refused to give the name of a key witness.”
According to a police source, the complainant told investigators she met Hakimi on Instagram in January 2023 and later visited his home using a taxi he arranged. She alleged that he kissed and touched her without consent before raping her. She said she managed to push him away and contacted a friend, who came to pick her up.
Speaking ahead of PSG’s Champions League play-off match against Monaco, PSG coach Luis Enrique declined to comment on the substance of the allegations, saying only: “This matter is in the hands of the authorities.”
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said her client was relieved the case would be heard in court and praised the judiciary’s handling of the matter. However, she added that the broader response showed “there are still areas where the #MeToo movement has not yet breached the sound barrier, chiefly in men’s football.”
Hakimi, born in Spain to Moroccan parents, began his professional career with Real Madrid in 2017 and later played for Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan before joining PSG in 2021.
He was also a key figure in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making the team the first African and Arab nation to reach that stage.
