Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi is said to be facing trial for rape after inviting a woman into his home near the French capital, according to reports. Hakimi, who is coming off the back of his best season to date after helping the Parisians to their maiden Champions League title - contributing with 11 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, including the first goal of the game in the final against Milan - could face a long-term sentence.
French prosecutors have formally signed off on a final indictment, seeking to have the 26-year-old brought before a criminal court on official charges. It is claimed that if found guilty, the full-back could be sentenced to 15 years in prison - the maximum given for the crime he is alleged to have committed.
Hakimi At Risk of 15-Year Prison Sentence
The incident dates back to 2023
According to a report from French outlet Le Parisien, as per the Sun, the incident in question dates back to February 2023. A 24-year-old woman is alleged to have told the police that she met the Moroccan international in January via correspondence through Instagram.
After a month of speaking to each other online, Hakimi is claimed to have ordered her an Uber to his Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife, Spanish-Turkish actress Hiba Abouk, was on holiday in Dubai with their two sons.
After arriving, Hakimi is said to have kissed her mouth and breasts through her clothes without consent. This was then allegedly followed by an assault. According to the alleged victim, she managed to push him away with her foot and leave, texting a friend to pick her up.
Later that same day, the woman went to a police station to report the incident, giving what was described as a "statement of rape," though she initially chose not to file a formal complaint.
In the weeks that followed, she submitted messages to investigators that reportedly reflected her emotional distress after the alleged assault.
On March 3, 2023, an investigating judge formally charged Achraf Hakimi with rape. He was briefly taken into custody before being released under judicial supervision. Hakimi has denied all allegations from the outset.
On December 8, 2023, the woman confronted Hakimi during a session in the investigating judge’s office, where she restated her claims. The footballer once again rejected any wrongdoing.
Now, a spokesperson for the Nanterre prosecutor’s office confirmed that they had “requested that the investigating judge" refer the Hakimi case to a criminal trial, signaling their intention to move forward with formal prosecution.
The defender has claimed there is a plot out against him in a previous interview
Achraf Hakimi of PSG
Hakimi addressed the accusations in an interview back in January, claiming that there was a plot out against him.
"The truth is that when you are successful and things are going well, you become an easy target for certain people and that taught me that you can't trust many people around you.
"They wanted to blackmail me and that's why we filed a complaint and it's going well. The justice system handled things rather well."
In the wake of the most recent update, A prosecuting official said: "It is now up to the investigating judge to make a decision about a possible trial within the framework of his order."
A representative of the alleged victim stated: "My client welcomes this news with immense relief. Nothing in this case suggests an attempted racketeering. We will not tolerate any smear or destabilisation campaign, as is unfortunately still too often the case for women who have the courage to report the rape of which they are victims."
However, Hakimi's lawyer, Fanny Colin, spoke out against the prosecution's latest move, saying: "These requisitions are incomprehensible and senseless in light of the evidence in the case.
"It establishes the plaintiff's lies, particularly through the psychological assessments conducted on her. Achraf Hakimi and I remain as calm as when the proceedings began.
"If these requests were to be followed, we would obviously pursue all avenues of appeal."
At the time of writing, Hakimi remains free on bail.