Achraf Hakimi, a Moroccan international and defender for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), will face trial for alleged rape after France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, confirmed on September 23 that the case has been referred to a criminal court. This decision follows a legal process that began in February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman reported being raped by Hakimi on February 25, the day before a derby match between Marseille and PSG, which Hakimi was not playing in. The woman had not initially filed a formal complaint, but an investigation was opened, leading to the case being passed to prosecutors in Nanterre. Hakimi and the complainant had connected on Instagram a month before the alleged incident, after Hakimi reacted to one of her posts. According to the investigation, Hakimi had proposed multiple times to meet the complainant, along with friends, in a public place, but she declined. Eventually, she agreed to meet him at his home, and the day before the incident, they had planned to “relax.” Hakimi was placed under investigation on March 3, 2023, and later placed under judicial control. He was questioned by the court on December 8, 2023, in a confrontation with the complainant. In February 2026, an investigating magistrate issued a 21-page order, deciding to send Hakimi to a criminal court for rape, though no trial date was set. His lawyer, Fanny Colin, appealed this decision, and Hakimi appeared before a court on May 22 to challenge the referral. On June 19, the court confirmed that the case would proceed to the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine region. Hakimi’s legal team argued that the court’s decision was based on sufficient evidence against him, aligning with the views of the public prosecutor, the investigating judge, and the Advocate General. Meanwhile, the complainant’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, expressed relief, saying the decision brings hope after more than three years of legal challenges. According to the complainant, she arrived at Hakimi’s home at 1:17 a.m. and left shortly after 2:21 a.m. She described the incident as involving forced digital penetration that lasted less than a minute. She also sent messages to a friend during the evening describing the situation as serious. These messages were used as evidence to support her account. Hakimi has consistently denied the allegations, claiming the encounter involved consensual kisses and a caress on the lower back with her permission. His defense has raised concerns about potential manipulation, citing the complainant’s refusal to hand over her phone to the police, undergo a gynecological exam, or attend a judicial medical appointment. Two psychological evaluations of the complainant were also presented, one of which noted that her statements “are not the vocabulary of a victim of sexual assault.” Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé, a former PSG teammate of Hakimi, has become a focal point in the case. Mbappé provided a police statement in which he said Hakimi mentioned mutual caresses on “intimate parts.” He later clarified that he used the phrase “intimate parts” without specifying that it referred to sexual activity. Mbappé is expected to be called as a witness during the trial.