A French appeals court on Friday rejected an effort by Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi to avoid criminal proceedings and ordered him to stand trial on rape charges, a decision that landed just hours before his team’s Group C match in Foxborough. Hakimi, who has consistently denied wrongdoing, said on social media that he is “looking forward” to a trial where he can speak and suggested that his fame may have influenced how the case has been handled.
Versailles Court Upholds Committal
The investigating chamber of the Versailles Court of Appeal ruled that there was sufficient evidence to send Hakimi before a departmental criminal court on a rape charge, according to AP News. Rachel Flore Pardo, the lawyer for the woman who filed the complaint, said the ruling “brings my client a sense of relief and hope” after more than three years of legal proceedings.
Allegation and Procedural Timeline
The accusation centers on an encounter the plaintiff says took place in February 2023. Prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation in March 2023, and the case has since moved through various investigative stages, as reported by The Guardian. The outlet notes that the woman told authorities she met Hakimi via Instagram and later went to his home in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris.
Defense and the Player's Response
Hakimi denies the allegation. His lawyer, Fanny Colin, has argued that the case should have been thrown out because of what the defense describes as exculpatory elements uncovered during the inquiry, according to AP News. In a post on X, Hakimi wrote that “justice looked me in the eye and told me: ‘If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,’” adding that he has been “waiting for this trial since the first day.”
What's Next and Legal Stakes
No trial date has been set. The referral means the case will first be examined by a departmental criminal court in Hauts-de-Seine before any trial is scheduled, BBC Sport reports. Under France’s penal code, rape is punishable by up to 15 years of imprisonment, according to Legifrance, and the decision has pushed a high-profile legal dispute into the global spotlight as Morocco competes at the 2026 World Cup in the U.S.
