Achraf Hakimi sent for trial on rape charge in Hauts-de-Seine | OneFootball

Achraf Hakimi has been sent to the Hauts-de-Seine departmental criminal court on a rape charge after an investigating judge found sufficient grounds, citing alleged moral coercion to obtain penetration, while also setting out elements in his favour, on Tuesday.

According to L'Équipe, a woman identified as Amélie made a police report on 25 February 2023 after visiting his home after 1am, alleging non-consensual digital penetration, then initially refused to lodge a complaint.

On 1 March both women were interviewed. Police found on the friend's phone early messages like "je v le bz" and "on va le dépouiller", then later "il me viole". The friend said Hakimi allegedly insisted and penetrated her digitally despite refusal.

Amélie declined medical or psychological examinations. Hakimi denied any sexual touching or digital penetration and was placed under formal investigation on 2 March 2023, claiming a set-up indicated by those messages, which the women described as a joke.

One expert saw no fabrication but possible influence, noted an expressed desire for revenge mainly against the media, questioned her vocabulary and behaviour, and found no psychological trauma. A second expert said her account was neither dramatised nor fabricated and that she wanted to be believed.

The judge cited her consistent claim of digital penetration and her stated refusal of sex that night, despite timeline variations, in ordering trial. The defence criticised a case they say rests solely on her word, while the complainant's lawyer welcomed the order as coherent and said MeToo lags in men's football.

Source: L'Équipe