World

PSG’s Achraf Hakimi’s wife breaks silence on rape allegations against him

Paris Saint-Germain footballer Achraf Hakimi’s wife broke her silence on the rape allegations against her husband and said she would always stand by the side of victims, Spanish daily Marca reported on Monday.
Although Hiba Abouk did not directly comment on the rape accusations, she voiced her confidence in “the good work of the justice system” regarding the “serious” allegations.
Speaking for the first time since the allegations surfaced in February, Abouk, who’s been married to Hakimi since 2020, also revealed that she decided to separate from Hakimi before he was indicted with rape.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The Spanish actress “needed” to explain herself after remaining silent for a month, El Pais reported citing a statement by Abouk.
Abouk reportedly said the separation happened “long before the events in which I have been involved in the media and of which I am totally unaware.”
“After taking the decision to legally separate and stop living together, while awaiting the divorce proceedings, who would have imagined that in addition to facing the usual pain that comes with a separation,” El Pais quoted her as saying.
“And accepting the grief that comes with the failure of a family project to which I had given body and soul, I would have to face this ignominy,” she added.
Abouk did not explain why she decided to separate from Hakimi.
The report added that Abouk, who has been in Dubai since the rape allegations were made, said she will try to restart her life, as far away from the issue as possible.
Hakimi is facing preliminary charges of rape. Under French law, that means there is reason to suspect a crime has been committed but it allows magistrates more time to investigate before deciding whether to send the case to trial.
The Morocco national team player has been prohibited from contacting the alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman who says she was raped by Hakimi in February at his home in a Paris suburb. Hakimi is allowed to leave French territory, prosecutors said.
Abouk, whom Hakimi met in 2018 when he was playing for Dortmund in Germany, is twelve years older than him and gained recognition for her role in the Spanish crime drama El Principe.
Hakimi and his wife share similar backgrounds, with Hiba being born in Madrid to Tunisian immigrants.
In 2020, the couple got married in a private ceremony before welcoming their first child. Their second child was born in 2022.
With The Associated Press
Read more: