PARIS (BN24) — French prosecutors on Friday requested that Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco national team defender Achraf Hakimi stand trial for the alleged rape of a 24-year-old woman in 2023, a charge the footballer has consistently denied.
The request was made by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office, which asked the investigating magistrate to refer the case to a criminal court. “It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the office said in a statement provided to Agence France-Presse.
Hakimi, 26, was charged in March 2023 following accusations made by a woman who told authorities she met the footballer on Instagram in January of that year. She alleged that he invited her to his home, sending a taxi to pick her up. According to police sources cited by AFP at the time, the woman claimed that once at the residence, Hakimi initiated non-consensual sexual contact and raped her. She later managed to contact a friend, who came to retrieve her. Although the woman did not initially file a formal complaint, prosecutors opted to move forward with the charges based on the information provided.
The Paris Saint-Germain full-back, who played a key role in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and scored in PSG’s 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the 2025 UEFA Champions League final, has denied the allegations.
In response to the prosecutors’ request for a trial, Hakimi’s attorney, Fanny Colin, called the move “incomprehensible and senseless in light of the case’s elements,” and stated that they would appeal any decision to proceed with a trial. “If these requisitions were to be followed, we would obviously pursue all avenues of appeal,” she told AFP.
Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the woman, Rachel-Flore Pardo, described the development as a positive step. “My client welcomes this news with immense relief,” she said.
A final decision from the investigating judge on whether the case will go to trial is expected in the coming weeks.
