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PARIS — Morocco international soccer player Achraf Hakimi faces an investigation in France after he was accused of rape on Thursday night, prosecutors in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said on Friday.
hakimi, who, according to his lawyer, denies the allegations, has been placed under judicial supervision and has been banned from contact with his alleged victim, prosecutors added.
As a player for the Moroccan national team, Hakimi was a key figure at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Well-known Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred was found guilty of rape in Paris
Under French law, the charges against Hakimi do not automatically lead to a trial and could still be dismissed.
The 24-year-old, who was born in Spain, plays as a defender for French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hakimi was spotted training with other club members on Friday, Agence France-Presse reported.
Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, said in a statement that Achraf Hakimi “strongly denied the allegations against him” during a hearing this week “held at his express request”.
“In my opinion, the documents in the hands of the Criminal Investigation Department indicate that Mr. Hakimi was the subject of an attempted blackmail in this case,” she added.
According to the Associated Press, PSG coach Christophe Galtier told reporters on Friday that he “will not answer any questions of a non-sporting nature [relating to] Achraf Hakimi.” Galtier added he hopes Hakimi can train with the rest of the squad “to be available” to play in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
According to French media reports, the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation on Monday after a woman told authorities she had been raped by the footballer at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt, on the outskirts of Paris. The alleged incident is said to have occurred on Saturday.