The decision by France’s highest judicial court closes the appeals filed by the player against his referral to trial. In February, a judge at the Nanterre court ordered Hakimi to stand trial before the criminal court. His defense team, representing the Paris Saint-Germain player, challenged the decision.
In June, while the World Cup was being played, the Versailles Court of Appeal upheld the order. Hakimi then appealed to the Court of Cassation, the final avenue of appeal within France’s judicial system against a decision to refer a case to trial. With the Court of Cassation rejecting his appeal, the trial is now confirmed.
The case dates back to 2023, when a young woman accused Achraf Hakimi of raping her at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt. The player, now 27, was placed under formal investigation in March of that year. He has denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
Following the initial decision to refer Hakimi to the criminal court in February, his lawyer, Fanny Colin, strongly challenged the evidence cited against her client. In a statement, she argued that the case against Hakimi relied mainly on the complainant’s statements and highlighted several elements she considered favorable to the defense.
Colin specifically cited the complainant’s refusal to undergo certain investigative procedures, including medical examinations, DNA testing and the examination of her cellphone. She also referred to the findings of two psychological assessments, which the defense said identified “a lack of lucidity regarding the reported events” and “the absence of post-traumatic symptoms.”
Colin also said that certain exchanges of messages between the complainant and a friend, which the defense considered important to understanding the case, had not been voluntarily provided to investigators.
Hakimi, for his part, publicly responded after his referral to the criminal court was announced. In a lengthy message posted on social media, the Atlas Lions captain said he had been waiting for the trial since the case began so that he could present his side of the story.
