The French Court of Cassation delivered a significant ruling on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, by rejecting the appeal filed by Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, defender for Paris Saint-Germain, against the decision to bring him to trial. This decision stems from a case that dates back to February 2023. The Versailles Court of Appeal had previously confirmed the trial referral in June of this year.
With this ruling, the Court of Cassation has upheld the process of bringing Hakimi before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine region, with a trial date to be determined in the future. This marks a notable milestone in a legal journey that has unfolded over more than three years.
In an initial response to the ruling, Hakimi's attorney, Fanny Collin, clarified that the Court of Cassation did not examine the substance of the allegations against her client but rather rejected the appeal regarding the decision to proceed with the trial. She emphasized that the facts under scrutiny will be addressed during the trial, where the defense team will present various elements and evidence in a public and direct discussion among the parties involved.
Collin strongly asserted that Hakimi **categorically denies the allegations made against him since the inception of this case**, adding that the player has continued to cooperate with security and judicial authorities throughout the investigation phases. The defense intends to discuss what it considers elements that prevented the full truth from being revealed during the trial. She cited messages that purportedly discuss a plan to "defraud" the player, along with claims of failure to disclose the identity of a key witness and the absence of medical examinations that could support the defense's narrative, in addition to restrictions on examining the complainant's phone.
The controversy began in February 2023 when a young woman filed a complaint against Hakimi, accusing him of committing non-consensual sexual acts at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris. The player has consistently denied these accusations.
On June 19, 2026, the Versailles Court of Appeal affirmed the decision to bring Hakimi to trial after an investigating judge determined that there was sufficient evidence to proceed in February of the same year. Legally, the Court of Cassation's decision to reject the appeal does not constitute a judgment on the merits of the allegations themselves; rather, the court did not rule on the veracity of the facts attributed to the player. These facts and the evidence from both sides will be thoroughly examined during the upcoming trial.
Until a final judicial ruling is issued, Achraf Hakimi remains presumed innocent, although a formal date for the trial has yet to be established.
As reported by marrakechpost.com.
