Achraf to face trial on rape charges - and could face up to 15 years in jail

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been ordered to stand trial in an alleged rape case against him.

The allegation against the Morocco international dates back to February 2023 when a woman, then aged 24, claimed he assaulted her in his home in Val-De-Marne - a south-east area of Paris.

If found guilty, the 27-year-old could face up to 15 years in jail.

Hakimi, who denies the allegations, took to social media on Tuesday morning to once again rebuff the plaintiff's stance.

'Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial,' he posted on X.

'This is as unjust to the innocent as it is to the genuine victims. I calmly await this trial, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.'

Hakimi's lawyer Fanny Colin said a trial had been ordered and the prosecutor in the Nanterre suburb of Paris confirmed it.

'A trial has been ordered on the basis of an accusation that rests solely on the word of a woman who obstructed all investigations, refused all medical examinations and DNA tests, refused to allow her mobile phone to be examined, and refused to give the name of a key witness,' Colin said.

The plaintiff said she met Hakimi in January 2023 on Instagram and went to his home in a taxi ordered by the player, a police source said at the time.

She claimed that the player kissed her, touched her without her consent and then raped her.

She said she managed to push him away and text a friend, who came to pick her up.

Hakimi was given preliminary charges of rape in March 2023. In the French legal system, preliminary charges mean judges have strong reason to suspect a crime was committed but are allowing time for further investigation before deciding whether to send a case to trial.

PSG manager Luis Enrique was asked on Tuesday, ahead of their Champions League play-off second leg against Monaco on Wednesday night, whether Hakimi's case changes anything for the team and whether he remains the vice captain. The Spaniard said only: 'This is in the hands of the justice system.'

The plaintiff's lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said her client was relieved to hear the case was going to court.

She said the judiciary had been exemplary in handling the case.

But its treatment in general showed 'there are still areas where the #MeToo movement has not yet breached the sound barrier, chiefly in men's football,' she added.

Hakimi, born in Spain to a Moroccan mother, came through the youth system at Real Madrid before making his senior debut for them in 2017.

He was also one of Morocco's superstars during the Africa Cup of Nations, with the tournament hosts making it to the final where they lost in a chaotic climax to the tournament to Senegal.

Hakimi joined PSG in 2021, after stints with Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan.