Moroccan Hakimi comments on the decision to refer him to trial on charges of rape | sports

The repercussions of the chapters of the judicial trial affecting Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi continue, after the investigation chamber of the Court of Appeal in Versailles decided, on Friday, June 19, to confirm the decision to refer him to trial before the Criminal Court in Hauts-de-Seine, on charges of rape, which opens a new judicial chapter in a thorny file dating back to the beginning of 2023.

This decision comes at a time when the 27-year-old player is experiencing a sensitive sporting stage, as he is participating with the Moroccan national team in the 2026 World Cup finals, amid mounting legal and media pressure.

A complicated judicial process since 2023

The beginning of the case dates back to February 25, 2023, when a young woman went to the police station in Nogent-sur-Marne to declare that she had been sexually assaulted by the player inside his home in Paris, after a previous acquaintance via Instagram.

Although the young woman did not initially want to file an official complaint, the French judiciary opened a preliminary investigation that ended in indicting Hakimi and placing him under judicial supervision, before the procedures later developed towards demanding that he be tried before a criminal court. During the investigation stages, the police listened to the parties involved, including legal confrontations between the player and the plaintiff, in addition to testimonies and psychological experience reports presented in the file.

In February 2026, the investigating judge decided to refer Ashraf Hakimi to the Criminal Court, considering that the file contained sufficient evidence to require passage to the trial stage, which was challenged by the player’s defense team. But the Investigative Chamber of the Versailles Court of Appeal rejected this appeal, and officially confirmed the referral decision, which means that the player will face a criminal trial in the coming months, without specifying an exact date yet.

Mbappe’s testimony and additional controversial details

One of the elements that received great attention in the file is the statement of French player Kylian Mbappé before investigators, in which he referred to a conversation he had with Hakimi about the incident, in which he talked about mutual relations with the young woman. This statement was later corrected by Mbappe through a linguistic clarification, which added more complexity to the process of judicial evaluation of the testimonies within the file.

According to investigation data, the young woman confirms that she met Hakimi at his home, where, according to her account, she was subjected to an attempted sexual assault, before she was able to leave the place. On the other hand, the player categorically denies these accusations, stressing that the relationship was consensual. His defense also considers the case an attempt at blackmail, based on some digital data and communications that he considered to have different connotations than the other party’s story, in addition to psychological reports that were considered controversial within the file.

Hakimi’s reaction: “Finally I will be able to speak”

Hours after the referral decision was issued, Ashraf Hakimi broke his silence on social media platforms, expressing his position on the recent developments, saying: “If I had not been famous, this case would not have existed. I chose to remain silent for a long time, but today I have been waiting for this trial from the beginning. Finally, I will be able to speak.”

The player added that he feels that he has become an easy target, stressing his adherence to his innocence and his willingness to go to trial to defend himself.

An upcoming trial and ongoing sporting pressure

It is expected that the Criminal Court in Hauts-de-Seine will set the date for the trial in the coming months, at a time when Hakimi continues his sporting commitments with the Moroccan national team in the 2026 World Cup, amid intense media follow-up and a wide difference in opinions about the file. Between the complex judicial process and the sporting pressures, the future of the case remains open to all possibilities, awaiting what the upcoming trial sessions will reveal.