Gists
Apr 18,2023
French prosecutors say Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been indicted on rape charges
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been indicted on rape charges, French prosecutors said Friday.
The prosecutors office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Hakimi was questioned on Thursday by investigators probing rape allegations. He was then indicted by an investigating judge and placed under judicial supervision.
Hakimi‘s lawyer, Fanny Colin, said the player “strongly denied accusations made against him,” in a written message to The Associated Press.
Colin said her client being indicted is an “obligatory step for any person being accused of rape” and will allow Hakimi to defend himself by giving him access to the case. Colin also said that some elements collected by the judicial police show, according to her, that Hakimi “in this case has been subjected to a racketeering attempt.”
The Morocco national team player has been prohibited from contacting the alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman who says she was raped by Hakimi on Saturday at his home in a Paris suburb. Hakimi is allowed to leave French territory, prosecutors said.
The Spanish-born Hakimi is a defender who helped Morocco make World Cup history last year by becoming the first African team to reach the tournament’s semifinals. He was seen training with PSG on Friday.
Prosecutors opened their preliminary investigation on Monday.
Hakimi returned to training with PSG on Friday after a minor hamstring issue, and he could be in the team’s squad to play Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League.
PSG is scheduled to play Nantes at home on Saturday in the French league.
At a news conference on Friday, PSG coach Christophe Galtier said he would “answer no questions of a non-sporting nature (relating to) Achraf Hakimi.”
Galtier said he hoped Hakimi could train with the rest of the team “to be available” to play against Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the second leg of the round of 16.
“The players were hard-working and serious,” Galtier said when asked what the mood was like at training given the case.
Hakimi appeared on stage at the FIFA Awards in Paris on Monday. He was honored as part of the player-voted men’s all-star team and was greeted by brief, loud applause when introduced.
Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco football player Achraf Hakimi was charged with rape, French prosecutors told Agence France Presse on Friday, March 3.
Hakimi was questioned by magistrates on Thursday in connection with accusations from a 24-year-old woman and subsequently charged.
The Madrid-born player, who was a key part of Morocco's surprise run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar last year, attended a PSG training on Friday morning. PSG had no immediate comment.
Hakimi's lawyer was not immediately available but said earlier this week the accusations were "false."
"My client maintains everything that she said. She made the choice to speak exclusively to prosecutors and does not want the affair to become a media issue, mainly to protect her safety," said Rachel Flore Pardo, the lawyer for the alleged victim.
Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his house while his wife and children were away on holiday.
Earlier this week Hakimi took part in a FIFA Best awards ceremony in Paris where he was named in the FIFPro men's world team of the year.
In Qatar, he was a centerpiece of the Morocco team that became the first nation from the Arab world to reach a World Cup semi-finals.
