Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in France in a rape case after a French appeals court confirmed the procedural step Friday, the Associated Press reported through ESPN.
Hakimi, a Ligue 1 player for PSG and a Morocco international, denies wrongdoing. AP reported that the Versailles appeals court said in a media statement that it ordered Hakimi to be formally charged with rape and found enough evidence from the inquiry and judicial investigation for the case to go to trial.
French Appeals Court Confirms Trial Step
The ruling upheld a February decision by an investigative judge, according to AP. That earlier ruling followed recommendations from public prosecutors that Hakimi should face trial.
AP reported that Hakimi faced preliminary charges of rape in March 2023 after a 24-year-old woman said she was raped by him at his home in a Paris suburb. A trial date has not been announced.
The timing landed while Hakimi was with Morocco at the World Cup. AP noted that the decision was released hours before Morocco's Group C match against Scotland, after Morocco opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Brazil.
PSG Defender Denies Wrongdoing
Hakimi wrote on X that he had waited for the trial since the first day and said the case had affected his family and what he called the truth, AP reported. His lawyer, Fanny Colin, told AP that the defense regretted the proceedings were not dismissed and disputed the case.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, told AP that the court's decision gave her client relief and hope after more than three years of legal proceedings.
The verified news is the court ruling, not a finding of guilt. Hakimi remains a PSG and Morocco player while the legal process moves toward a trial whose date is still pending.