Rapper Naps to be charged with rape in Paris criminal court

French rapper Naps has been charged with rape by an investigating judge before the Paris Criminal Court.

The musician, known for his songs C’est carré le S and La Kiffance, is suspected of raping a woman while she slept in a hotel room in Paris in October 2021. Naps, whose real name is Nabil Boukhobza, was charged in October of the same year and placed under judicial supervision.

Boukhobza, 32, denies the charges against him. His lawyer Nabil Boudi says: “Naps denies (these charges) in their entirety and with the utmost determination.” He said he had appealed the investigating judge’s order of May 15.

The starting point of the proceedings was a complaint filed in October 2021. In it, “a young woman stated that she had spent the previous evening in a bar in the 9th arrondissement” and was then “invited with friends to the table of the rapper Naps,” the Paris public prosecutor’s office explained.

“They then followed him to his room in a hotel near Gare de Lyon, which was gradually abandoned by the rapper’s friends. The young woman had fallen asleep and one said she had been woken up by sexual intercourse to which she had not consented.”

When the investigation began, Naps took to his Instagram account to “of course deny” the allegations. “I see in the press the rumors that keep circulating… it tarnishes my name even though I didn’t do anything. I haven’t even been contacted by the police, I don’t even know what it’s really about,” he said.

Originally from the Marseille suburb of Bel Air, Boukhobza started rapping when he was only 15 years old. Two years later, he formed Click 11.43 with two other rappers, KOFS and Sahime. The group had a large following and he later released solo music and collaborated with many other musicians. His song C’est carré le S reached number one in France, along with La Kiffance and 6.3.

The star’s album “Pochon bleu” was certified platinum twice, while “A l’instinct” went platinum.

*If you have been a victim of sexual assault, you can get help and resources through www.rapecrisis.org.uk or by calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, ÞjórsárdenFacebook, YouTube and Threads.