Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi booed at World Cup as French court orders rape trial
The Versailles appeals court confirmed Friday that Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape, hours before he was loudly booed during a World Cup match against Scotland in Boston.
Legal decision confirmed
The Versailles Court of Appeal on Friday rejected Achraf Hakimi’s appeal and ordered him to stand trial for rape. The 27-year-old PSG defender had challenged a February ruling by an investigating judge that followed recommendations from French public prosecutors to proceed. The court found “sufficient charges” against the Moroccan star. No trial date has been set, but he must appear before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department near Paris.
- Woman reports rape to police in Paris suburb
- Preliminary charges filed against Hakimi
- Investigating judge orders trial
- Hakimi appeals the decision
- Versailles court confirms trial; Hakimi plays vs Scotland
On-field reaction in Boston
Just hours after the legal ruling, Hakimi started for Morocco in their second World Cup Group C match against Scotland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He was loudly booed by sections of the crowd every time he touched the ball. Morocco entered the game second in the group after a 1-1 opening draw with Brazil, trailing Scotland who had beaten Haiti 1-0.
- Scotland
- 3 pts
- Brazil
- 1 pts
- Morocco
- 1 pts
- Haiti
- 0 pts
Statements from both sides
Hakimi denies the accusation, calling it a false allegation.
In a lengthy post on X, he said he had chosen silence for years out of dignity and trust in justice, but now “a story is being told that is not mine, at the cost of my family, my life and above all the truth”. He added:If you were not famous, there would never have been a case.
I have been waiting for this trial since the first day. And I am now waiting for it impatiently. Finally, I will be able to speak.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, described the appeals decision as a judicial victory.
She said she hoped the trial would help other women and weaken “the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including within men’s football.”After more than three years of legal proceedings, and after being defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi’s defence, this decision brings my client a sense of relief and hope.
What happens next
A trial date remains pending. French legal processes typically take several months from formal indictment to the start of proceedings, so the World Cup tournament is not in immediate jeopardy for Hakimi. The 24-year-old woman who filed the complaint in February 2023 told police she was raped at Hakimi’s home in a Paris suburb while his wife and children were away. Hakimi’s lawyers have accused her of obstructing the investigation and refusing medical examinations. The Morocco captain, a Champions League winner with PSG, continues to play at the tournament while awaiting trial.
