Achraf Hakimi To Stand Trial In Rape Case, French Court Confirms

An appeal court in France has confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco player Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case.

The star player who is currently partaking in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for his country had earlier appealed a decision reached in February by an investigative judge. 

The ruling came after recommendations from public prosecutors that Hakimi should be tried. 

The decision was revealed few hours to the match between Morocco and Scotland in Group C.

Morocco had began their World Cup campaign drawing 1 - 1 with Brazil.

Hakimi, however, denies any wrongdoing in the case. The defender faces preliminary charges of rape after a 24-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by him at his home in a suburb of Paris. 

A press statement by the Versailles appeals court ordered that Hakimi be charged formally with rape. 

According to the court, investigations conducted into the case during the inquiry and judicial investigation subsequently led the chamber to conclude that there is enough evidence against the player to stand trial. 

Lawyer for the plaintiff, Rachel-Flore Pardo said that decision is a relief to her client after more than three years of legal proceeding that began in March 2023.

"And after being defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi's defense," the court's decision "brings my client a sense of relief and hope," she said. 

"Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have her case heard at trial," Pardo said in a statement to The Associate Press. "Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including within the world of men's football."

Responding to the development, Achraf Hakimi said in a post on X that the case would have been dismissed if he was not famous and concludes that he has become "an easy target."

"Justice looked me in the eye and told me: 'If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,'" Hakimi wrote. "I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that staying dignified, being patient, and trusting the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made."

He also mentioned that the case had become detrimental to him, especially his family and also "to the truth."

"I have been waiting for this trial since the first day. And I am now waiting for it impatiently," he added. "Finally, I will be able to speak."

Speaking to AP, Hakimi's lawyer, Fanny Colin said "the multitude of exculpatory elements uncovered during the investigation and judicial inquiry would, in any other case, have led to the dismissal of the proceedings."

"Achraf Hakimi's defense regrets that no consequences were drawn from the contradictions and false statements made by the complainant, her concealment of information from the judicial authorities, her obstruction of the search for the truth, and the psychological assessments noting both her ambivalence and her lack of clarity regarding the events she reported."

A trial date is yet to be announced.