Morocco international faces criminal proceedings after highest court rejects final legal appeal.
The legal journey for Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi reached a critical juncture this week when France’s Court of Cassation—the nation’s supreme court for civil and criminal matters—upheld a decision to send the 27-year-old to trial on rape charges. According to AFP reporting, the court’s confirmation closes off Hakimi’s final avenue for legal recourse before facing criminal proceedings.
Hakimi has consistently denied the allegations, which centre on an alleged incident in 2023. The Morocco international initially challenged an order to stand trial issued in February, then appealed to the Versailles appeals court, which upheld the decision in June during the World Cup. His subsequent appeal to the Court of Cassation represented his last opportunity to avoid trial.
According to the source material, a woman then aged 24 reported to police in the Val-de-Marne region southeast of Paris in February 2023 that Hakimi had assaulted her. She told authorities she met the footballer on Instagram in January 2023 and was picked up by a taxi he arranged to his home. The woman claimed the player kissed and touched her without consent before the alleged rape occurred, and that she managed to push him away and contact a friend for pickup.
The plaintiff’s legal representative, Rachel-Flore Pardo, issued a statement expressing her client’s resolve to pursue the matter. “After three and a half years of legal battles, after being slandered and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi’s defence, my client is determined to obtain justice; she will fight to the very end,” Pardo told AFP.
Hakimi’s defence team, led by lawyer Fanny Colin, did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the court’s decision. The confirmation sets the stage for criminal court proceedings in the Hauts-de-Seine department, where the case will now proceed.
The case has unfolded over more than three years, beginning with the woman’s February 2023 police report in the Val-de-Marne region. Hakimi was charged with rape shortly after. The footballer, who plays as a defender for Paris Saint-Germain and represents Morocco internationally, has maintained his innocence throughout the legal process.
Written & Edited by Orlyn Edwards. Published by Caribbean Air Force Media.
Category: News · Island routing: Jamaica