Hakimi to stand trial in France over alleged rape | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, 27, is to stand trial in France over an alleged rape reported in 2023. Proceedings will take place in Nanterre and relate to an incident said to have occurred at his home that February.

According to Superdeporte, contact between the player and the woman began on social media. She later went to his Boulogne-Billancourt residence, where she says he kissed and touched her without consent and digitally penetrated her, before leaving and going to police.

She did not initially file a formal complaint, but prosecutors opened an investigation. In March 2023 the Morocco international was charged and placed under judicial supervision, with a ban on contacting the complainant, and a judge has ordered the case to trial.

Following the decision to send the case to court, Hakimi issued a statement maintaining his innocence. He calls the complaint false, links it to an attempted extortion, says he has cooperated with authorities and is approaching the process calmly.

He has argued that a rape allegation alone can suffice to justify a trial, which he considers unfair to innocents as well as to genuine victims.

If convicted, the former Real Madrid academy product, who played in the first team from 2017 to 2020, could face up to 15 years in prison under French law. He has continued to work and travel under distancing measures. In 2023 his former partner, actress Hiba Abouk, was in the process of divorce, expressed support for victims and requested privacy.

Source: Superdeporte