A French court on Friday confirmed that Moroccan international footballer Achraf Hakimi will stand trial over allegations of rape involving a woman in 2023, accusations the Paris Saint-Germain defender strongly denies.
The case dates back to February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman filed a complaint with police in the Val-de-Marne region, southeast of Paris, alleging that Hakimi had raped her.
Hakimi, who plays as a right-back for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Moroccan national team, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
He is currently with Morocco at the 2026 World Cup, where the team is scheduled to face Scotland in their second group match on Friday.
Following the ruling by the Versailles Court of Appeal, Hakimi posted on X that he had been “waiting for this trial since day one,” adding, “At last, I’ll be able to speak.”
No date has yet been fixed for the trial, which will be heard by the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine region.
His lawyer, Fanny Colin, said the court’s decision was expected and does not indicate guilt. She maintained that Hakimi “remains steadfast in his defence.”
On the other hand, the complainant’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said the ruling brought her client “relief and hope.”
According to police sources, the woman said she met Hakimi in January 2023 via Instagram and later visited his home in a taxi arranged by the footballer.
She alleged that Hakimi kissed and touched her without consent before raping her, but said she managed to push him away and later contacted a friend who came to pick her up.
Speaking publicly for the first time in an interview published by Mediapart, the woman, identified under the pseudonym Jeanne, said she wants a trial “to defend myself, to be heard,” adding, “I want to explain myself. I want people to believe me.”
