Overview
- The Versailles Court of Appeal ruled Friday that an investigating chamber found sufficient evidence to refer Achraf Hakimi to the departmental criminal court in Hauts-de-Seine.
- The allegation dates to February 2023, when a then-24-year-old woman reported she was raped at Hakimi’s Paris-area home and prosecutors opened a preliminary probe in March 2023.
- Hakimi has denied the accusation, posted that he feels targeted because of his fame, and his lawyer, Fanny Colin, says the investigation uncovered exculpatory elements that should have led to dismissal.
- The complainant’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said the decision brings her client relief and hope because it guarantees a public hearing where both sides can present evidence.
- No trial date has been set and reporting notes possible practical effects on Hakimi’s World Cup travel, including visa or entry risks for matches in Canada or Mexico similar to recent cases.