Charges against French rugby player: Rape accuser in hospital

Two French rugby internationals accused of raping and beating an Argentine woman – who is now in hospital – are to be charged in the case, a judicial source told AFP on Thursday.

Hugo Auradou20, and Oscar Jegou, 21, were arrested in Buenos Aires on Monday after the woman accused them of repeatedly raping and brutally beating her in a hotel room in the city of Mendoza after a game.

They deny the accusation and say that the sexual intercourse with the woman was consensual.

The players were taken by car from Interpol headquarters in Buenos Aires to Mendoza on Thursday, where they are expected to be formally charged on Friday.

Meanwhile, the 39-year-old woman’s lawyer, Natacha Romano, said her client was hospitalized on Thursday after feeling emotionally and physically unwell “due to everything that happened.”

Psychologist Nicolas Yungman, who did not treat the woman, told local media that her described symptoms could indicate post-traumatic stress disorder.

The woman will be treated at a health facility for 24 to 48 hours, Romano said.

– House arrest? –

Auradou and Jegou will spend the night in police custody and will appear before prosecutor Cecilia Bignert at 9:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT) on Friday, Martin Ahumada, a spokesman for the Mendoza prosecutor’s office, told AFP.

Once the charges are brought, the couple could be remanded in custody for ten days to determine whether they should await trial in custody.

Within these ten days, the two could apply for release on parole or house arrest, Ahumada said.

In Argentina, the penalty for sexual harassment is between six and 15 years according to the penal code. If two offenders commit the crime, the penalty can rise to 20 years.

Romano told AFP on Wednesday that her client had been subjected to “brutal” violence by her attackers in a hotel room; she suffered injuries to her face, back, chest, legs and ribs, as well as several bite and scratch marks.

The woman claims to have been raped “at least six times” by one of the men and once by the other, the lawyer said.

She allegedly made several attempts to escape.

– “The violence was cruel” –

The allegations, which have rocked French rugby and dominated headlines in Argentina, came during a South American tour by the French national team.

The alleged attack took place on Saturday evening at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza, where France’s players and staff were staying following their friendly victory over Argentina.

Romano told AFP that the woman went with one of the men from a nightclub to a hotel room, where she said she was held against her will and abused for several hours.

“The violence was horrific,” Romano said. “There is more than one crime that needs to be investigated.”

Lawyer Rafael Cuneo Libarona, who represents the players, arrived in Mendoza on Wednesday and said the “sexual relations” were “consensual.”

“There are witnesses who saw them leave (the hotel), there are cameras that saw them leave and there do not appear to be any injuries in the footage,” Libarona, the brother of the country’s Justice Minister Mariano Cuneo Libarona, told reporters.

Romano told AFP that “the overwhelming evidence that there was no consent is the victim’s body” and the wounds she sustained.

If charges are brought against the men, she will ask the court to remand them in custody, the lawyer added.

The charge, said Romano, must be “rape with the use of force.”

Florian Grill, president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), who is currently in Argentina, told AFP that the players had “a completely different version” of events than the woman, who had “many inconsistencies”.

“We are not judges or investigators, but we believe that the Argentine judiciary should look into the case very quickly,” he said.

Aradou and Jegou were replaced by lock Mickael Guillard and flanker Judicael Cancoriet for Saturday’s second friendly against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

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