Two French rugby players arrested on sexual abuse charges after woman was ‘strangled and beaten’

The two French international players Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were arrested in Argentina on Monday after being accused of sexual abuse. During this, a young woman was allegedly strangled and beaten.

Jegou and Auradou, aged 21 and 20, both started for France in their 28-13 victory over Los Pumas in Mendoza on Saturday.

The allegations, made by a young woman from Mendoza, were made after a party was held that same evening at the city’s Diplomatic Hotel, where Fabien Galthié’s troupe was staying.

After travelling to Buenos Aires with the rest of the French squad, the players will be brought back to Mendoza for training.

The operation is said to have been accelerated to prevent Jegou and Auradou from leaving the country, as France is scheduled to play against Uruguay in Montevideo on Wednesday.

“Today a commission from the province of Mendoza is traveling to Buenos Aires to pick them up and carry out the appropriate investigations,” said Martin Ahumada, a spokesman for the Mendoza prosecutor’s office.

“If the investigations are consistent with the victim’s statement, the appropriate charges will be brought,” he told Agence France-Presse.

Local newspaper MDZ reported that the players met the alleged victim in a nightclub and then returned to the Diplomatic Hotel. There, MDZ reported, a “wild situation” with “a lot of violence” occurred, in which the alleged victim was strangled and beaten.

The law firm of attorney Natacha Romano, who will represent the victim, is quoted as claiming there is “abundant genetic evidence.”

“If the facts are proven, they are incredibly serious. You have to think about the young woman,” said Florian Grill, president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), in an impromptu press conference on Monday evening.

“It’s the opposite of everything rugby is, everything rugby does, everything rugby builds… But you have to let the necessary investigation take place,” he added.

The FFR was asked for comment.

The arrests came a day after a racism scandal that resulted in French full-back Melvyn Jaminet being sent home from the tour. Jaminet was sacked after a video of him making racist comments emerged on social media.

“I promise I will headbutt the first Arab I see on the street,” Jaminet says in the Instagram video.

Jaminet subsequently apologized for his comments after being kicked out of the squad.

“I am deeply sorry and ashamed of my comments,” Jaminet said on Instagram. “Racism in all its forms is unacceptable and goes against everything I believe in.”

“I understand the FFR’s punishment and remain at their disposal to shed light on this incident.”