French court confirms Moroccan footballer Hakimi to stand trial on rape charge

A woman, then aged 24, told police in the Val-de-Marne region southeast of Paris in February 2023 that Hakimi had raped her.

The Paris Saint-Germain player has consistently denied the allegations.

Hakimi, who recently won his second consecutive Champions League title with PSG, had appealed his indictment.

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Court ruling

Shortly after the Versailles Court of Appeal delivered its ruling, Hakimi wrote on social media platform X that he had been "waiting for this trial since day one."

"At last, I'll be able to speak," he said.

The Court of Appeal said that after the investigation, "there is sufficient evidence" against Hakimi to justify his indictment.

A date has not been announced for the trial in the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department.

"This confirmation was expected. Nothing here says that he is guilty of anything, he remains steadfast in his defence," Hakimi's lawyer Fanny Colin said.

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Plaintiff's account

The plaintiff's lawyer Rachel-Flore Pardo said the ruling was a "relief" for her client.

"After more than three years of legal battles, after being slandered and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi's defense, this decision brings relief and hope to my client," she said.

The plaintiff told investigators she met Hakimi on Instagram in January 2023 and went to his home in a taxi ordered by the player, a police source said at the time.

She alleged that Hakimi kissed her, touched her without her consent and then raped her. She said she managed to push him away and text a friend, who came to pick her up.

Hakimi was charged and placed under judicial supervision a few days later, in March.

Speaking publicly for the first time in an article published by investigative news site Mediapart on Thursday, the woman, using the pseudonym Jeanne, said she wanted a trial "to defend myself, to be heard".

"I want to explain myself. I want people to believe me," she said.

(with AFP)