French rugby players charged with raping woman in Argentina

Two French rugby internationals have been charged with the aggravated rape of a woman after a match in Argentina, prosecutors in the South American country said.

Hugo Auradou, 20, and Oscar Jegou, 21, are accused of raping a 39-year-old woman after France beat Argentina on Saturday.

She claims that they raped and beat her several times in a hotel room in the city of Mendoza.

The couple, who “did not want to testify” at a hearing in the city, said they had consensual sex with the woman and denied rape. They remain in custody while authorities conduct further investigations.

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The woman claimed the attack took place at the Diplomatic Hotel, where France’s players and staff were staying as part of a South American tour.

Her lawyer says she left a nightclub with one of the men and accompanied him to the hotel room, where she says she was imitated by one of the men “at least six times” and once by the other.

Ms Romano told AFP her client had been subjected to “brutal” violence and had suffered injuries to her face, back, chest, legs and ribs, as well as several bite and scratch marks.

The woman was held against her will for several hours and tried to escape several times, Ms Romano said.

Her client went to hospital on Thursday after feeling emotionally and physically unwell as a result of the incident and is currently being treated at a health facility, she added.

On Friday, a lawyer for the players said his clients were confident in their version of events.

“They are confident in their version and calm because they know they are innocent. But of course they are worried about the whole situation they had to go through,” German Hnatow told reporters.

On Wednesday, another lawyer said the “sexual relations” were consensual.

“There are witnesses who saw them leaving (the hotel). There are cameras that saw them leaving. There do not appear to be any injuries in the footage,” Mariano Cuneo Libarona told reporters.

The president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), who is in Argentina, also told AFP that the players had “a completely different version of events”.

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

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