Paris Saint-Germain and Moroccan national team defender Achraf Hakimi will appeal to France’s highest court after a ruling confirming that he must stand trial on a rape charge, his lawyer, Fanny Colin, told Reuters on Friday (26).
Hakimi’s referral for trial was confirmed on June 19 by the Versailles Court of Appeal, which upheld a judge’s order ordering the 27-year-old player to be brought before a criminal court over the alleged rape of a woman in 2023.
Hakimi has denied the accusation since the beginning of the process.
The Morocco captain is with his team at the World Cup in the United States. A trial date has not yet been set.
The young complainant reported having met Hakimi in January 2023 on Instagram and going to the player’s house in an app-based transport vehicle requested by him, according to a police source at the time of the events.
According to her account, Hakimi had kissed and touched her without consent before raping her. She then allegedly managed to push him away and sent a message to a friend, who went to pick her up.
The player was indicted and placed under judicial control a few days later, in March 2023.
