French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) defender Achraf Hakimi has been accused of rape.
According to the BBC, a preliminary investigation has been launched into the allegations against Hakimi, who is also a defender of Morocco, and this has been confirmed by a source close to the investigation.
A 24-year-old woman has alleged that the Paris Saint-Germain full-back raped her at her home in the French capital on February 25.
Sources said that although the woman reported the incident to the police station on Sunday, no charges were registered. The public prosecutor’s office handling the case in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris, declined to comment on the matter but confirmed that an investigation had begun.
Hakimi, who was born in Spain, was a key player when Morocco made history by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar. Morocco also became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
That performance saw him included in the FIFAPro Men’s World Team of the Year at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in Paris on Monday evening.
The 24-year-old Hakimi stood on stage to receive the award alongside PSG teammates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Both Hakimi and PSG have not publicly responded to the allegations. Hakimi’s lawyer has denied the allegations of rape.
