The Moroccan and Muslim footballer Achraf Hakimi will be tried for rape in France

The Court of Appeal of Versailles has confirmed this Friday that Moroccan footballer Achraf Hakimi will be tried in France for rape. The judicial resolution comes after the definitive rejection of the appeal that the Moroccan international had filed against his prosecution, affirming the judge's decision that there are sufficient indications for the case to be heard in a criminal court.

This decision puts an end to a series of legal maneuvers that began when the prosecution requested the trial in the summer of 2025, a process that the PSG defender attempted to halt unsuccessfully through appeals filed in February and May of this year.

The events attributed to the athlete date back to the early morning of February 25, 2023. According to the complaint filed at the Nogent-sur-Marne police station, a young woman —who met Hakimi through Instagram that same year— went to the player's home, located on the outskirts of Paris, around 1:15 AM. At that time, the footballer was alone in his residence due to an injury, while his then-wife, actress Hiba Abouk, and their children were on vacation in Dubai.

According to the victim's harrowing testimony, the encounter led to a sexual assault that included non-consensual kissing and a "penetration with fingers" despite her explicit refusal. The complainant was particularly emphatic during her court hearing, stating: "He behaved like an animal, showed no tenderness, seemed desperate for sex".

According to her account, she was only able to escape after kicking the footballer, at which point she sent a text message to a friend asking for help.

For his part, Achraf Hakimi has categorically denied the charges, claiming he is a victim of his own celebrity status. Through a post on the social media platform X, the footballer stated: "Now a story is being told that is not mine", and assured that he looks forward to the trial "with great eagerness" to be able to "finally" "express himself". His defense, led by attorney Fanny Colin, insists that the confirmation of the prosecution was expected and reminds that "for now, it has not been said that he is guilty of anything".

In contrast, the attorney for the private prosecution, Rachel-Flore Pardo, has emphasized that this judicial resolution comes after more than three years of legal proceedings marked by what she described as defamations against her client.

For the lawyer, the decision represents a reason for relief and hope, stating that the trial should help to "break down the fortress of denial and impunity that surrounds sexual violence, even in the world of men's football".

This legal twist comes at a time of high visibility for the player, who currently serves as captain of the Morocco National Team in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

After playing the match Morocco-Brazil last Sunday in New York, the footballer is preparing for the second match of the tournament this Friday, while the French penal system finalizes the details to set a date for a trial that promises to be one of the most publicized of the decade.