PSG: defender Hakimi sent to trial after cassation
PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will be tried before the departmental criminal court for rape after the Court of Cassation rejected his appeal, a judicial source said on Wednesday. The decision comes as he had just taken part in the World Cup with the national team in June. Updated on 23/09/2026.
Cassation confirms the referral to trial
The Court of Cassation confirmed on Wednesday the referral to trial, finding that no serious grounds justified its admission, according to the rapporteur's report and the conclusions of the attorney general. This decision paves the way for the jurisdiction of the Hauts‑de‑Seine department. The Versailles Court of Appeal had already confirmed the referral in February.
While he was in the Morocco squad for the World Cup in June, Hakimi saw his appeal to the Court of Cassation rejected, which now places him before the criminal justice system. The Versailles Court of Appeal, seized in first instance in February, had ruled on the alleged rape of a young woman in 2023.
The player, born in Morocco, had contested the alleged facts from the start of the proceedings. After the Court of Appeal's decision, he appealed to the Court of Cassation, hoping to overturn the referral, but the high court upheld the decision. The case therefore remains open before the departmental jurisdiction.
France's Court of Cassation sends Achraf Hakimi back to French courts
Chronology of the incident and reactions
According to the Court of Appeal judgment delivered in June, the victim, then twenty‑four years old, met the footballer on Instagram in January 2023 and went to his home on 24 February 2023 in a VTC ordered by Hakimi. The following day, she filed a complaint, stating that she had been kissed and then touched without consent before being digitally raped.
Achraf Hakimi's lawyer, Maître Fanny Colin, did not respond immediately to the request for information. On her side, Maître Rachel‑Flore Pardo, the young woman's lawyer, said in a statement that her client, “after three and a half years of legal battle, will fight to the end to obtain justice.”
Bertrand Périer, the complainant's lawyer, indicated that the Court of Cassation rejected the appeal, finding a lack of serious grounds, and welcomed the decision. The case remains ongoing and authorities await the next steps. More information to follow. Updated on 23/09/2026.