Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been preliminarily charged with rape, prosecutors said on Friday. The prosecutor’s office in Nanterre, France, told ESPN that a preliminary investigation was launched last week against the Moroccan player after a 23-year-old woman went to the police accusing him of rape.
The alleged victim did not press charges, but the seriousness of her testimony led the prosecution office to open an investigation. According to the Nanterre city prosecutor’s office, Hakimi was questioned by investigators looking into the rape allegations on Thursday. An investigating judge then charged him and placed him under judicial supervision.
Preliminary charges, according to French law, indicate that there are grounds to suspect that a crime has been committed, but give magistrates more time to investigate before deciding whether to send the case to trial. Hakimi has been placed under police surveillance and is not allowed to contact the alleged victim.
Neither Hakimi nor PSG have made any public statements about the investigation, but the player’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, subsequently released a statement saying:
“Achraf Hakimi vehemently denied the accusations against him during his interview with the police. The indictment gives Hakimi the possibility to defend himself with many rights, especially to have access to the case file.“
The news comes just five days before the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 between PSG and Bayern Munich. Christophe Galtier’s side suffered a 1-0 home defeat, but will have the chance to turn things around in the second leg, scheduled for March 8 at the Allianz Arena.
On Monday, Hakimi attended the FIFA Best awards ceremony in Paris, where he was included in the FIFPRO World XI.
The 24-year-old joined PSG in 2021 from Inter Milan and was instrumental in the Italians’ success last season. He was also instrumental in guiding Morocco to the semi-finals of last year’s World Cup.