'There was mutual caresses on pr*vate parts' - Kylian Mbappe confesses what African Best told him amid rape scandal

The legal saga surrounding Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi has taken another dramatic turn.

Pulse Sports earlier reported that the 27-year-old Moroccan star and African best is headed to trial after being charged with rape following a three-year investigation.

The news comes months after French newspaper L'Équipe, now released an exposé on the rape case involving the Moroccan defender.

As you know, a formal request from the Nanterre prosecutor's office was issued on August 1, 2025, seeking to refer the 27-year-old footballer to the Hauts-de-Seine departmental criminal court for charges of rape.

While Hakimi continues to vehemently deny the allegations, new details, including the testimony of his close friend Kylian Mbappé and a series of previously hidden text messages from the complainant, came to light on the unfolding case.

In a significant revelation from L'Équipe's deep dive into the case, it emerged that Kylian Mbappé, Hakimi’s football bestie and former teammate, was interviewed by investigators. 

Mbappé's account offers a rare glimpse into Hakimi's distress following the initial complaint in 2023.

"That evening, we went to a restaurant. Achraf completely broke down, he cried. He really wasn't well," Mbappé was quoted to have told investigators as per the aforementioned outlet. 

The Los Blancos no.10 was among others close to Hakimi - who testified in his favour, including hairdresser Brice Tchaga and make-up artist Mélissa Gateau, the ex-wife of Mbappe’s brother, who was recently spotted on holiday with the football duo in Isla Palominos, Puerto Rico. 

Mbappe said: "He told me that there had been mutual caresses on private parts, but that at no time had he felt any refusal from this young woman (...) He told me that in the end they hadn't slept together without telling me why. It's a subject that we discuss regularly and on which we are very vigilant."

The France international, 27, also vouched for Hakimi's character and conduct: 

"First of all, we are not savages. And then, we have been prepared for this since the beginning of our career,” Mbappe said.

“Achraf Hakimi is respectful with women. Even when drunk, I have never seen him behave inappropriately (...) Even when I was not present at certain scenes, I never received feedback from friends telling me that Achraf had behaved badly or that he had crossed the line." 

The heart of the investigation hinges on conflicting narratives and newly revealed evidence. 

The complainant's initial statement to police detailed a distressing encounter, claiming Hakimi forcibly groped her despite her protests.

According to L’Equipe, she stated: "I asked him to stop several times. I took his head with my hand, trying to immobilize him. I told him: I'm the one who decides whether I want to or not." 

She reiterated, "I told him: I told you no, so it's no," specifying that Hakimi was "forceful" rather than "violent." 

Per the aforementioned outlet, she also provided real-time text messages to her friend after leaving Hakimi's home, expressing alarm: "it's very serious" (1:50); "I'm coming home, it's very serious" (2:18); "I beg you, hurry up, it's very serious, he's raping me, my mother's life"; "I can't leave" (2h22).

L'Équipe's investigation dramatically revealed text messages from before the encounter, initially hidden by the complainant and discovered through her friend's phone.

The messages appear to paint a starkly different picture. 

At 12:48 a.m., the complainant wrote to her friend as reported by Foot Mercato: "Ah, I've got the demon, lol." 

Her friend then advised her to listen to a rapper's song about "taking this risk to protect the miff (the family)" and recommended she arrive "femme fatale style." 

The friend continued with highly suggestive remarks: "Try to pick up the codes and everything, we're going to rob him"; "we're chicks from the cailler (the calle, the street in Spanish)." 

Just before entering Hakimi's home while his estranged wife and kids were on vacation in Dubai, the complainant messaged: "I'm going to f*** him," followed by "So my thing." 

Her friend replied, "Lol, you dirty whore." 

Earlier, she had reportedly texted her friend, "He wants to f*** me," adding a smiley to lighten the mood, and the friend advised: "Sorry, you have to go straight in my opinion. But in a cute way. Imagine, you see it. Boom. After 3 times he falls in love. We don't know."

When later questioned by police about these messages, the complainant dismissed them as "dark humour.”

However, faced with these inconsistencies, Hakimi's lawyer, Fanny Colin, reacted to the prosecutor's request for the footballer to be tried in court, stating via AFP News Agency:

"These requests are incomprehensible and senseless in light of the elements of the case. It establishes the plaintiff's lies, in particular through the psychological assessments conducted on her.

“We remain with Achraf Hakimi as calm as when the proceedings began. If these requests were to be followed, we would obviously exercise all avenues of appeal." 

Hakimi himself maintains his innocence, asserting that nothing happened, he did not undress her, and there was no discussion of sexual activity.

Hakimi also claims he asked her to leave as he had training the next morning.

The psychological reports on the complainant also present a nuanced perspective.

While one psychologist noted her "speech appears to be sincere and authentic" with "no real tendency towards fabrication or mythomania," they also qualified their analysis. 

The psychologist observed that: "Her animosity seems less towards the perpetrator than towards the media leak (…) This questions me because Amélie does not use (…) vocabulary referring to a person who is the victim of sexual assault but to a lack of consideration."

Furthermore, no physical disorder or "real psychological repercussions" were noted, only "a lack of respect, or even an abnormal situation." 

The report concluded with a profound question: "I am not certain that Amélie is entirely lucid about the events of which she was allegedly the victim (…) Would reporting be a means or rather an alternative in order to extricate herself with dignity from the situation?" 

A subsequent psychological assessment, requested by the investigating judge, also noted: "What she had decided in this meeting is confronted with the reality of the other's desire. Mr. Hakimi probably has no visibility on the complainant's internal dialogue."

Further adding to the complexity of the case, it was revealed via L’Equipe’s extensive report, that on the evening of the alleged incident, Hakimi had also welcomed another woman to his home.

The Atlas Lions captain is claimed to have met the mystery woman through the exclusive dating app Raya. 

She reportedly testified that the footballer, seeing that "nothing would happen," respectfully asked her to go home.

As a reminder, Hakimi could face up to 15 years behind bars if found guilty of sexual assault.