PSG defender Achraf Hakimi charged with rape

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi faces a criminal investigation after an allegation of rape was made against him, an official from the Nanterre prosecution office confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Friday. The prosecution office added that the 24-year-old Morocco international had also been been placed under police monitoring and a restraining order had been served, banned him from making any contact with the alleged victim.

The left-back, one of the awards winners at Monday’s FIFA The Best gala (he appeared in the World XI), has been under investigation after a 24-year-old women contacted police on Sunday, claiming that she had been sexually assaulted by the PSG star in Val-de-Marne, a suburb to the southest of the French capital. Initially, the victim, who is believed to have initiated contact with the player through Instagram in January, was reluctant to press formal charges but the prosecutor’s office decided to press ahead with the case. Hakimi made a declaration on Thursday, giving investigators in Hautes-de-Seine his version of what happened at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt last weekend.

Hakimi’s lawyer refutes claims

Hakimi’s lawyer Fanny Colin issued a statement refuting the claims, telling Le Parisien, the French newspaper which broke the story, “The accusations are false. He is calm and is at the disposal of the authorities.”

PSG officials have made no comment on the case, nor has Hakimi responded to the accusation. He took part in this morning’s session at the club’s training complex in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris as the Ligue 1 leaders prepare for Saturday’s visit from Nantes.

The accusations come on the back of a similar case involving Brazilian defender Dani Alves, who has been remanded in custody in a Barcelona prison since late last month, after his arrest over accusations that he raped a 23-year-old woman in a nightclub in the Catalan capital.