French Court of Appeal Confirms Trial of Hakimi on Sexual Assault Charges

In a significant judicial development, the Versailles Court of Appeal upheld the decision to refer Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi to trial on charges of sexual assault, rejecting the player's appeal to annul the earlier referral decision.

With this decision, the Paris Saint-Germain defender is now at risk of appearing before the regional criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine area of France, in connection with a case dating back to February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman accused him of sexually assaulting her after they met at his home in the suburbs of Paris.

Hakimi appeared before the Court of Appeal last May in an attempt to have the case dismissed and obtain a decision to close the file. However, the court decided to proceed with the trial and rejected the appeal submitted by his defense team.

The Moroccan star continues to maintain his complete innocence of all charges, asserting on several occasions that the case is "baseless," and that he is awaiting trial to prove the truth to the public.

The decision comes at a very critical time, as Hakimi is currently participating with the Moroccan national team in the 2026 World Cup, wearing the captain's armband, just hours before the anticipated match against Scotland in the second round of the group stage, adding more pressure on one of the standout stars of the "Atlas Lions."

Although the referral of the case to trial has been confirmed, the decision is not a conviction, as judicial proceedings are still ongoing, awaiting the scheduling of sessions that will ultimately decide the case.