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Top Moroccan soccer star Achraf Hakimi, who plays for French club Paris Saint Germain alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, has been charged with rape in France.
This week, authorities launched an investigation after a 23-year-old woman accused the 24-year-old defender of raping her. However, she did not press charges, but the French prosecutors decided to move forward with an investigation. Hakimi has been placed under judicial supervision and is not permitted to make contact with the alleged victim, according to ESPN.
Neither Hakimi nor PSG has publicly commented on the situation, but Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, issued a statement adamantly denying any wrongdoing by his client.
“According to the elements currently at the disposal of the police that M. Hakimi, in this case, is the victim of an attempt of racketeering,” Colin’s statement read. “Achraf Hakimi strongly denied the accusations against him during his police interview. Being charged gives M. Hakimi the possibility to defend himself with a lot of rights, especially to have access to the case file.”
Colin noted that the alleged victim “refused to press charges, refused to submit herself to any medical or psychological exams and refused to confront in person Achraf Hakimi when the accusations only rely on her words.”
Because the charges Hakimi faces are preliminary charges, magistrates will have more time to investigate the alleged incident before determining if the case should be sent to trial.
Hakimi has been sidelined with a leg injury, but was set to be available for PSG’s Ligue 1 match against Nantes this weekend. PSG is also set to take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday, March 8.
How the ongoing situation impacts his availability remains to be seen.
