A French appeals court has upheld a decision to send Achraf Hakimi to trial on rape charges, confirming an earlier ruling by an investigative judge.
Hakimi, who is currently representing Morocco at the World Cup, was charged in March 2023 after a 24-year-old woman accused him of raping her at his home in a suburb of Paris.
The Paris Saint-Germain F.C. defender has consistently denied the allegations, saying on social media that the case would have been dismissed if he were not famous and that he believes he has become an “easy target.”
Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the complainant, said the court’s decision gives her client “a sense of relief and hope” that the case will finally proceed to trial after a lengthy legal process.
Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, criticised the ruling, arguing that the investigation had uncovered numerous “exculpatory elements” and what she described as “contradictions and false statements” in the complainant’s account.