Prosecutors make arrest in PSG women’s team assault case

The prosecutor’s office in Versailles confirmed on Wednesday that a suspect in the assault on Paris Saint-Germain player Kheira Hamraoui has been taken into custody.

A source close to the investigation told AFP that the suspect was “known to the police” and was a “friend” of Aminata Diallo, Hamraoui’s team-mate.

He “would have played a role in the assault”, said the source.

On November 4, Hamraoui was assaulted with iron bars by two men, in front of Diallo. 

The two players were competing for the same spot in the PSG midfield. Both are France internationals.

“We are not aware of any friend of Aminata Diallo having been placed in custody,”  her lawyer, Mourad Battikh, told AFP. 

“Aminata Diallo, more than anyone else, wants the light and the truth to be found in this case.” 

Earlier in the investigation, Diallo and one of her friends were taken into custody but then released without being charged. 

Hamraoui’s relationship with several of her teammates has reportedly deteriorated because they blame her for Diallo’s arrest. 

Last Saturday, a new altercation occurred during PSG training between several players and the midfielder, according to a source with knowledge of the case. 

Hamraoui was not in the PSG squad for the Champions League semi-final first leg against Lyon on Sunday and will not join club training this week or play in the second leg on Saturday.

Last month, Hamraoui’s  lawyer, Said Harir, wrote to PSG to denounce “a campaign of harassment and denigration.”