Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
The Court of Appeal upheld French In Versailles, on Friday, June 19, 2026, the decision was made to refer Moroccan international star Achraf Hakimi, defender of Paris Saint-Germain, to trial on charges of rape, rejecting all the legal arguments presented by his defense team to close the case.
The court ruling confirmed the referral decision issued last February, after a hearing held in the investigation chamber, during which the player sought a final decision to close the case, but the court confirmed the continuation of legal proceedings against him.
The facts of the Hakimi case Return February 2023
The case dates back to late February 2023, when a young French woman, then 24 years old, gave a statement to the police in the Val-de-Marne region, in which she spoke about being sexually assaulted inside the player’s home in the suburbs of Paris.
According to the investigation records, she stated that she met Hakimi through the “Instagram” platform in January of the same year, before going to his house in a private car that he had booked for her, where the accident occurred according to her account.
She added that she was touched without her consent, and managed to push him away, before contacting a friend who came immediately to pick her up.
Positions Different
Following the verdict, Hakimi broke his silence through his official accounts, indicating that he had remained silent throughout the past period out of trust in justice, revealing that the judge had told him during the sessions: “If you were not famous, you would not have faced this case.”.
In contrast, Achraf Hakimi’s lawyer declined to comment, limiting herself to previous statements in which she asserted that the accusations “lack evidence and rely on a one-sided narrative.”.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff's lawyer expressed her client's satisfaction with the court's decision, stressing that the referral was in line with the evidence and indications presented, and consistent with the public prosecution's requests.
It is not yet clear whether Hakimi will participate in his country's match against Scotland scheduled for today.
A distinguished football career under the pressure
Hakimi is one of the world's most prominent right-backs, having graduated from Real Madrid's academy and had professional stints with Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
He was also one of the key players in the Moroccan national team’s historic achievement of reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
These legal developments are putting his football career under considerable pressure, as he awaits the outcome of the trial in the coming period.
