Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi will stand trial over an alleged rape after France’s highest court rejected his appeal on Wednesday, September 23. The Court of Cassation upheld the decision to send the 27-year-old before the departmental criminal court in Hauts-de-Seine. Hakimi had challenged a June ruling by the Versailles Court of Appeal, which had confirmed that the case should proceed to trial.
His latest appeal was his final legal avenue to challenge the decision to refer him to a criminal court. The Court of Cassation’s ruling does not determine whether Hakimi is guilty or innocent. That will be decided during the trial, where the allegations and evidence will be examined.
Hakimi has denied the allegation
The case dates back to February 2023, when a woman, then aged 24, reported to police that Hakimi had raped her at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris. According to accounts reported during the investigation, the woman had first made contact with Hakimi through Instagram before visiting his home. She alleged that he kissed and touched her without her consent before raping her. She said she managed to push him away and contacted a friend, who later came to collect her.
Hakimi has consistently denied the allegation. An investigation was opened by the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office in 2023. In February 2026, an investigating judge ordered that Hakimi should face trial after prosecutors had called for the case to proceed. Hakimi subsequently challenged that decision. The Versailles Court of Appeal rejected his challenge on June 19, confirming that the Morocco international should be tried before a criminal court. Hakimi then took the case to the Court of Cassation, which has now rejected his appeal.
No trial date has been announced
The latest ruling clears the way for the case to proceed before the departmental criminal court in Hauts-de-Seine. A date for the trial has not yet been announced. Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP following Wednesday’s ruling. The complainant’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said in a statement reported by AFP that her client remained determined to pursue the case after more than three years of legal proceedings.
For Hakimi, the ruling means the legal challenge against being sent to trial has reached its end. The case will now move to the criminal court, where both sides will have the opportunity to present their evidence and arguments. The PSG defender has continued his professional career throughout the legal proceedings and remains a key player for both the French club and Morocco. The immediate next step in the case is the scheduling of the trial.
