Mbappé a key witness: could the Real Madrid star's words save Hakimi in the rape case?
The judiciary summons France star
The French judiciary has settled the controversy, ruling definitively to refer Morocco star Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain defender, to a criminal trial on a rape charge in a case dating back to 2023. The development may see his former team-mate Kylian Mbappé summoned to give testimony.
France's supreme court today upheld the decision of the Versailles court of appeal issued on 19 June, rejecting the appeal submitted by the international's lawyers. Hakimi has thereby exhausted all legal avenues to avoid appearing before the court.
The facts of the case date back to February 2023. A young woman aged 24 filed a complaint accusing Hakimi of assaulting her inside his home in Boulogne-Billancourt, one of the suburbs of the capital Paris, after they got to know each other through social media.
Under this final ruling, Hakimi will appear before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department, most likely in the city of Nanterre. No date has yet been set.
Mbappé at the heart of the case
According to Spanish radio "Cadena COPE", the biggest surprise in this file is the role current Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé may play. The French star is expected to be summoned as a key witness in the trial, after the defence previously presented his testimony to the investigators.
Hakimi's team-mate at Paris Saint-Germain at the time, Mbappé was questioned by investigators on 14 April 2023. He said Hakimi had told him on the night of the incident that they had exchanged kisses by mutual consent. The investigating judge initially relied on these statements to support the complainant's account and to issue the trial order.
Hakimi's defence later attempted to present a new clarification through a message from Mbappé, in which he explained that Hakimi did not touch the complainant's genitals, in an attempt to deny any non-consensual sexual connotation. The clarification was not enough to convince the court of appeal, which upheld the trial decision.
The complainant's defence: justice will prevail
The complainant's lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, welcomed the supreme court's decision. She said in a statement to the Spanish news agency "EFE": "After three and a half years of legal battles, and after my client was subjected to defamation, she is certain that justice will be achieved and will fight to the end."
She added: "My client hopes that this trial will help other women, and will contribute to breaking the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, even in the world of professional football."
Hakimi, meanwhile, still maintains his account from the outset. He denies any relationship and admits only to a mutually consensual embrace and kisses, while the complainant asserts in her complaint that she was subjected to kissing and touching against her will before she was able to get away and call a friend to come and collect her.
