Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi indicted on rape charges

Achraf Hakimi, who played a key role in Morocco’s stunning World Cup semifinal run, has been indicted on rape charges, according to French prosecutors.

The Paris Saint-Germain defender allegedly brought a 24-year-old woman to his home in a Paris suburb last Saturday while his wife and kids were away on vacation.

The following morning, the accuser went to police and was questioned by prosecutors on Wednesday, per AFP.

Hakimi is facing preliminary charges of rape – meaning administrators suspect a crime has been committed but have not yet decided whether to sent it to trial – after being questioned on Thursday by investigators.

The defender “strongly denied accusations made against him,” his lawyer, Fanny Colin, told the Associated Press, adding the indictment is an “obligatory step for any person being accused of rape.”

Colin also claimed some of the evidence she’s seen show Hakimi “in this case has been subjected to a racketeering attempt.”

Hakimi’s accuser, however, is not backing off her claims.

“My client maintains everything that she said,” her lawyer, Rachel Flore Pardo, told AFP. “She made the choice to speak exclusively to prosecutors and does not want the affair to become a media issue, mainly to protect her safety.”

On Monday, Hakimi was part of the Morocco squad named FIFPro men’s world team of the year at the FIFA Best awards ceremony on Paris.

He returned to training with PSG on Friday after a minor hamstring issue, and he could be in the team’s squad to play Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League.

PSG is scheduled to play Nantes at home on Saturday in the French league.

At a news conference on Friday, PSG coach Christophe Galtier said he would “answer no questions of a non-sporting nature (relating to) Achraf Hakimi.”

Galtier said he hoped Hakimi could train with the rest of the team “to be available” to play against Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the second leg of the round of 16.

— With AP