PSG Defender Hakimi to Stand Trial on Assault Charges

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been ordered to stand trial in France on charges of assault stemming from an allegation made by a 24-year-old woman in February 2023. The decision, confirmed by lawyers on Tuesday, follows an investigation by the Nanterre public prosecutor's office, which recommended the case proceed to court last August. No trial date has been set.

The accusation dates back to the night of February 25, 2023, at Hakimi's residence in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb west of Paris. According to the woman's account, she met the 27-year-old Moroccan international via Instagram in January 2023 and was driven to his home in a vehicle arranged by him. She told investigators that Hakimi kissed her without consent and touched her over her clothes. She said she protested, resisted his advances, pushed him away and left the property before contacting a friend, who later corroborated her distressed emotional state to police.

Hakimi was placed under formal investigation and preliminary charges of assault on March 3, 2023, by an investigating judge. In the French legal system, such charges indicate judges have reasonable grounds to suspect a crime but allow for...