According to international media, the Nanterre (France) prosecutor's office announced on August 2 that it had proposed bringing the case related to defender Achraf Hakimi to trial in criminal court.
The final decision will be made by the investigative judge, but this step shows that the possibility of the case being brought to the trial stage is very high.
Hakimi, 26, was accused of sexually assaulting a 24-year-old woman at a private home in the Boulogne-Billancourt suburbs on February 25, 2023. According to the woman's testimony, the two met on Instagram in January of the same year.
On the day of the incident, Hakimi was paid for a trip to her private home by taxi while the player's wife and children were on vacation.
The woman later went to the police station and said she had been sexually abused by Hakimi. Although not submitting an official complaint, the prosecution agency still decided to prosecute the case based on statements and initial investigation results.
Hakimi denied all allegations and claimed to be a victim of a defamation plot. His lawyer - Ms. Fanny Colin - said that the proposal to bring the case to trial was "unreasonable and confusing", and said he would take legal action if necessary.
In contrast, the lawyer representing the woman - Ms. Rachel-Flore Pardo - said that her client felt " placed in a position of vulnerability and release" after hearing about the possibility of the case being brought to criminal court.
Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid, grew up in Real Madrid's training center, played for Dortmund, Inter Milan and is currently a mainstay of PSG. He was also a key factor in the historic journey to bring the Morocco team to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
There is no official trial schedule yet, but if convicted, Hakimi could face a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
