French court confirms rape trial for PSG and Morocco star Hakimi

On June 19, a French appeals court ruled that PSG and Morocco footballer Achraf Hakimi will stand trial on a rape charge, according to a judicial source speaking to AFP. In a statement on Wednesday, the appeals court confirmed the June 19 ruling during the World Cup that the 27-year-old would face trial in criminal court over the alleged 2023 rape of a woman, an accusation he has repeatedly denied.

Hakimi sought to appeal that decision to France's Court of Cassation, the highest court in the French judicial system responsible for civil and criminal matters. This appeal marked his final legal avenue. In February, Hakimi was ordered to stand trial in the Hauts-de-Seine department on the rape charge. He then appealed to the Court of Cassation after the Versailles appeals court upheld the decision in June.

Hakimi's lawyer, Fanny Colin, declined to comment upon being contacted on Wednesday. The plaintiff's lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, expressed determination for her client to obtain justice, stating that she would "fight to the very end." In February 2023, a woman who was 24 at the time informed police in the Val-de-Marne region, southeast of Paris, that Hakimi had raped her.

She claimed that they met on Instagram in January 2023 and traveled to his home together in a taxi arranged by the player. According to the woman, Hakimi kissed her, touched her without her consent, and subsequently raped her. She managed to push him away and contacted a friend, who arrived to pick her up. In the following days, Hakimi was charged with rape.