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A French appeals court on Friday confirmed that Moroccan football star Achraf Hakimi will stand trial over allegations of rape dating back to 2023, a charge the player continues to strongly deny.
The ruling by the Versailles Court of Appeal means the case will proceed to the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine region, although no trial date has yet been set.
The allegations stem from February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman reported to police in Val-de-Marne, southeast of Paris, that Hakimi had raped her following an encounter at his home. According to a police source at the time, she said she first met the PSG defender on Instagram in January 2023 and later travelled to his residence by taxi, which she claimed Hakimi had ordered.
She alleged that during the visit, Hakimi kissed her, touched her without consent, and then raped her. She further stated that she was able to push him away and send a message to a friend, who came to pick her up.
Hakimi, who is the right-back for Paris Saint-Germain and captain of the Moroccan national team, has consistently denied all allegations.
Reacting to the court’s decision, he wrote on X that he had been “waiting for this trial since day one,” adding: “At last, I’ll be able to speak.”
His lawyer, Fanny Colin, said the ruling does not determine guilt.
“This confirmation was expected. Nothing here says that he is guilty of anything, he remains steadfast in his defence,” she said.
On the other hand, the alleged victim’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, described the decision as significant, saying it brought her client “relief and hope.”
In her first public comments published by Mediapart, the woman, referred to 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.”
The case now moves forward to trial proceedings, where both sides are expected to present their evidence.
