MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

French international rugby players held incommunicado in Mendoza pending hearing in rape case

Under no circumstance will Auradou and Jegou be allowed to fly back to France

French international rugby players Hugo Auradou, 20, and Oscar Jegou, 21, who have been arrested in the Argentine province of Mendoza to face rape charges, spent the weekend separated from each other incommunicado before being transferred to another detention facility. For the time being, visitors are not allowed except for their legal teams after being formally charged Friday with “the crime of sexual assault with penetration, aggravated by the participation of two people.” A 39-year-old woman accused them of raping her multiple times and beating her in a Mendoza hotel room after a rugby match on July 7. The defendants claim it was consensual sex. If found guilty, they face between eight and 20 years in prison.

Auradou and Jegou are to remain in custody pending a hearing during which the judges will decide whether they wait for their trial behind bars or under house arrest, for which they would have to have a residence in Mendoza. In no case are they expected to be allowed to fly back to France, according to Mendoza judiciary sources.

The victim claims to have met Auradou in the early hours of July 7 at a nightclub in Maipú, from where they went to the hotel where the France National Team was staying. Jegou was said to join them later on.

According to the victim's lawyer Natacha Romano, her client sustained injuries to her face, back, breasts, legs, and ribs as well as bite and scratch marks. She said she was raped “at least six times” by one of the men and once by the other, according to the lawyer. Romano also said her client was hospitalized Thursday after feeling emotionally and physically ill “because of everything that happened.” She was discharged Saturday with an ulcer stemming from the painkillers she took. Studies also found a blow to the head and throat injuries due to hanging, according to her lawyers.

On the night of the alleged events and with the suspects already asleep, the victim sneaked out of the hotel and called for a ride. On July 7 afternoon, she filed a complaint in court. With her version and the first evidence, the two French players accused were arrested on Monday in Buenos Aires, before leaving for Uruguay to play another match, after which they were transferred Thursday by car from Interpol's Buenos Aires headquarters to Mendoza.

Defense attorney Germán Hnatow told reporters his clients would give a statement “quite different from what the victim has said.” The barrister also said he was hopeful house arrest would be granted once the flight risk has been averted. Also representing the players is Lawyer Rafael Cúneo Libarona, a brother and former law firm partner of Federal Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona. The solicitor said video footage from the hotel shows the victim leave with no visible injuries, which would contradict Romano's allegations that “the overwhelming proof that there was no consent is the victim's body.”

Both players needed to be replaced in France's subsequent appearances on their South American tour as they were housed in Mendoza Police facilities where dungeons are 6 square meters. On Monday they were transferred to another facility belonging to Mendoza's Penitentiary Service (Department of Corrections). They are expected to be moved to the San Felipe prison later this week. They have been reported to complain about their situation not knowing the language and being deprived of outside assistance.