A French appeals court has confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi will stand trial over allegations of rape involving a woman who accused him in 2023.
The case dates back to February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman reported to police in the Val-de-Marne region, southeast of Paris, that she had been raped by the footballer. Hakimi has consistently denied all allegations against him since the incident was first made public.
Following the ruling by the Versailles Court of Appeal, the Morocco international, who also captains the national team, said he had been waiting for the opportunity to clear his name in court.
“At last, I’ll be able to speak,” he wrote on X, adding that he had been “waiting for this trial since day one.”
His legal team also responded to the court’s decision, stressing that the ruling does not indicate guilt and insisting that the player remains firm in his defence.
“This confirmation was expected. Nothing here says that he is guilty of anything, he remains steadfast in his defence,” his lawyer Fanny Colin said.
A date for the trial has not yet been set by the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine region.
