Achraf Hakimi will indeed stand trial for rape. This Friday, the Versailles Court of Appeal upheld the referral of the Moroccan PSG defender to a departmental criminal court, rejecting the player's appeal against the indictment issued at the end of February. The footballer, now 27 years old, had requested that the case be dismissed. His appeal was rejected by the investigating chamber, which ruled that the case must proceed to trial. Hakimi remains presumed innocent.
These incidents have been reported since February 2023.
The case dates back to late February 2023. A young woman, then 24 years old, claims she was raped at Achraf Hakimi's home after meeting him on Instagram. She says she went there in a ride-hailing service ordered by the player. She described being subjected to unwanted physical contact: kisses, groping, and then rape. She says she then pushed the player away and contacted a friend by text message, who came to pick her up. An investigation was opened, and Hakimi was subsequently charged and placed under judicial supervision in March 2023.
Hakimi denies the accusations
Achraf Hakimi has contested the charges since the beginning of the proceedings. His defense challenges the strength of the accusation and maintains that the case rests primarily on the young woman's testimony. They have also highlighted text message exchanges with a friend of hers, presented as potentially undermining her account. The player had already appealed his committal for trial following the investigating judge's decision. The hearing before the appeals court was held in May, with one central request: to have the charges dropped before any trial. This request has now been rejected.
A criminal trial is coming up
The case will now proceed before the Hauts-de-Seine departmental criminal court. This court, composed of five professional judges, handles crimes punishable by fifteen to twenty years' imprisonment, including rape without aggravating circumstances. The trial date has not yet been set. At the hearing, the judges will examine the statements, testimonies, physical evidence, correspondence submitted to the case file, and the defense's arguments. At the conclusion of the proceedings, Achraf Hakimi may be acquitted or convicted.
A decision made in the middle of the World Cup
The decision comes as Achraf Hakimi is playing for Morocco in the World Cup. The PSG player was scheduled to play a match for his national team against Scotland in the United States on the same day. Legally, the appeals court has not yet ruled on the player's guilt, but it has confirmed that the charges must be heard in a criminal court. The trial will therefore be the central moment in the case.
