Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in France after the Court of Cassation dismissed his final appeal on Wednesday. The Paris Saint-Germain defender faces criminal charges over the alleged rape of a 24-year-old woman in February 2023, a serious accusation the Moroccan international has firmly denied since the investigation began.
Final Legal Recourse Fails at the Court of Cassation
The French judicial system has cleared the path for a criminal trial after the Court of Cassation rejected Achraf Hakimi’s appeal. This decision marks the end of all available appeals challenging the initial order to stand trial. The highest court in France for civil and criminal matters ruled that the decision to send the case to trial be upheld.
The ruling upholds a previous decision handed down on June 19 by the Versailles Court of Appeal during the World Cup. Earlier in February, Hakimi was ordered to stand trial before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department, a jurisdiction expected to hold the hearings in Nanterre.
The legal journey spans more than three years of procedural battles. The case stems from an incident in February 2023, when a woman then aged 24 reported to police in the Val-de-Marne region that the footballer had assaulted her at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt on the outskirts of Paris.
Contrasting Legal Positions as the Case Heads to Trial
As the legal battle moves toward a courtroom setting, both sides maintain starkly different positions regarding the evidence and the upcoming proceedings. The defence emphasizes that the core accusations have not yet undergone scrutiny in an open courtroom.
According to the defence, all supportive evidence will be presented publicly during the forthcoming trial.
Conversely, legal representation for the complainant views the supreme court’s dismissal as validation of the investigative process. Rachel-Flore Pardo issued a statement highlighting the strength and rigour of the court of appeal’s reasoning.
Witness Lists and the Path to the Courtroom
With all avenues of appeal exhausted, attention turns to the composition of the trial itself. The proceedings may feature testimony from notable figures within European football. Kylian Mbappé, Hakimi’s teammate at Paris Saint-Germain at the time of the incident, could be called as a witness after his prior statements were cited by the defense.
Initial investigative records showed that the forward told investigators Hakimi mentioned kissing the woman and touching her private parts, though he later clarified those remarks in a letter. That shift in account ultimately did not alter the appellate court’s determination to send the case forward.
While the Supreme Court ruling clears the way for court proceedings, it carries no weight regarding guilt or innocence. The footballer maintains the presumption of innocence while awaiting a trial date from the Hauts-de-Seine Criminal Court.