Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been charged with rape, French prosecutors have said.
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The prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Hakimi was questioned on Thursday by investigators probing rape allegations. He was then indicted by an investigating judge and placed under judicial supervision.
Hakimi, 24, is prohibited from contacting the alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman who says she was raped by Hakimi on Saturday at his home in a Paris suburb. Hakimi is allowed to leave French territory, prosecutors said.
The Madrid-born defender helped Morocco make World Cup history last year by becoming the first African team to reach the tournament’s semifinals. He was seen training with PSG on Friday.
Prosecutors opened their preliminary investigation on Monday.
Under French law, being charged does not necessarily mean the case will go to trial.
Rachel Flore Pardo, the lawyer for the alleged victim, told the AFP news agency, “My client maintains everything that she said. She made the choice to speak exclusively to prosecutors and does not want the affair to become a media issue, mainly to protect her safety.”
A PSG spokesman said the club “gives its support” to Hakimi and “places its trust in the justice system”.
The player’s lawyer Fanny Colin said Hakimi “firmly denies all the accusations against him” and that he was the victim of “an attempted racket”.
She said Hakimi welcomed the charge laid against him because “he finally has the possibility to defend himself”.
Hakimi appeared on stage at the FIFA Awards in Paris on Monday. He was honoured as part of the player-voted men’s all-star team and was greeted by brief, loud applause when introduced.
Hakimi came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German club.
He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021 where he has established himself as an integral part of the team and has struck up a close friendship with star forward Kylian Mbappe.
Source: Aljazeera
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