Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in France over an allegation of rape after the country’s highest court rejected his appeal.
A judicial source confirmed the development to AFP on Wednesday, meaning the 27-year-old has now exhausted his available legal challenges against the decision to send him to trial.
Hakimi has consistently denied the allegation, which dates back to an incident reported in 2023.
The case began after a woman, who was 24 at the time, reported to French police in February 2023 that the footballer had raped her.
According to details previously given to police, the woman said she first made contact with Hakimi through Instagram before visiting his home in the Paris region.
She alleged that Hakimi kissed and touched her without her consent before sexually assaulting her. She told investigators that she managed to push him away and contacted a friend, who later came to pick her up.
Hakimi was subsequently charged with rape.
In February, French authorities ordered him to face trial before a criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department. His legal team challenged the decision, but an appeals court upheld it in June.
Hakimi then took the case to France’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court for civil and criminal matters.
That appeal has now been rejected, clearing the way for the criminal proceedings to continue.
Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment following Wednesday’s decision.
The alleged victim’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said her client remained determined to pursue the case after years of legal proceedings.
The trial date has not been announced.
Hakimi, who remains one of Morocco and PSG’s prominent players, continues to deny the allegation.
Source: AFP
