French Prosecutors Seek Trial for PSG’s Achraf Hakimi Over Rape Allegation

French authorities have requested that Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi stand trial over an alleged rape incident dating back to 2023, a claim the Moroccan international has consistently denied, Sport360NG reports.

According to the Nanterre prosecutor’s office, a recommendation has been made to the investigating magistrate to move the case to a criminal court. “The decision now lies with the investigating judge, who will determine the next step in accordance with legal procedure,” the office told AFP on Friday.

Hakimi, 26, played a crucial role in PSG’s Champions League triumph earlier this year, notably scoring the opening goal in the 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan during the final in May. He also starred in Morocco’s historic 2022 World Cup run, where the team reached the semi-finals, an unprecedented achievement for an African and Arab nation.

The case stems from an alleged incident on February 25, 2023, when a 24-year-old woman visited Hakimi at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb of Paris. The woman later went to police, alleging that the footballer raped her during that visit.

Reports indicate the woman and Hakimi first made contact via Instagram in January 2023. She claims that Hakimi arranged and paid for her taxi ride to his home. During their encounter, she alleges that the player made non-consensual sexual advances before committing rape. According to police sources, she eventually managed to contact a friend, who came to pick her up.

Although the woman did not file a formal complaint, prosecutors still chose to pursue charges, and Hakimi was officially charged in March 2023.

Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, criticized the prosecution’s call for a trial, labeling it “incomprehensible and senseless” based on the evidence. She reiterated her client’s calm stance and indicated that they would challenge any move to trial through legal appeals.

Colin also claimed that Hakimi had been targeted in what she described as an “attempted extortion.” That assertion was rejected by the woman’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, who welcomed the prosecution’s decision and expressed confidence in the legal process.

“My client is relieved,” Pardo said. “We will not tolerate any attempt to discredit or undermine her, as often happens to women brave enough to report sexual violence.”

Born in Getafe, on the outskirts of Madrid, to Moroccan immigrant parents, Hakimi rose through the ranks at Real Madrid before stints at Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan. He joined PSG in 2021 and has since become a key player for the French champions.