A French appeals court has confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain and Moroccan football star Achraf Hakimi will face trial in a rape case.
The defender, who is currently representing Morocco in the World Cup after securing back-to-back Champions League titles with PSG, had appealed a February ruling from an investigative judge that suggested he should go to trial, following recommendations from public prosecutors.
This ruling was issued just hours before Morocco was set to play Scotland in their Group C match. Morocco had previously drawn 1-1 against Brazil in their opening game.
Hakimi, regarded as one of the top right-backs globally, maintains his innocence. He was initially charged with rape in March 2023 after a 24-year-old woman alleged he assaulted her at his home in a Paris suburb.
The Versailles appeals court stated in a media release that it has formally charged Hakimi with rape, asserting that the evidence collected during the inquiry was sufficient to proceed with a trial.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, the attorney for the plaintiff, expressed that after over three years of legal challenges, the court’s decision offers her client “relief and hope,” particularly after enduring defamation from Hakimi’s defense team.
“My client feels relieved that her voice has been recognized by the justice system and that her case will be heard in court,” Pardo stated. “She hopes this trial will empower other women and challenge the culture of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including within men’s football.”
In a message posted on X, Hakimi asserted that if he weren’t famous, the case would have been dismissed, expressing that he sometimes feels like “an easy target.” He wrote, “Justice looked me in the eye and said: ‘If you weren’t famous, there would have never been a case.’ I chose to stay silent for years, believing that dignity, patience, and faith in the judicial process would yield the right outcome.”
Hakimi claimed that the situation has negatively affected him and his family, “and above all, the truth.” He expressed eagerness for the trial, stating, “I have been anticipating this trial since day one. Now, I’m waiting for it with impatience. Finally, I will have the opportunity to speak.”
A date for the trial has not yet been announced.
Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, remarked to the AP that the numerous exculpatory details uncovered during the inquiry typically would have led to the case being dismissed.
“Achraf Hakimi’s defense regrets that no action has been taken in response to the contradictory and misleading statements made by the complainant, her withholding of information from judicial authorities, her obstruction of truth-seeking efforts, and her psychological evaluations indicating her ambivalence and lack of clarity about the events she reported,” Colin added.