French test player accused of rape in Argentina

French rugby players Hugo Auradou (left) and Oscar Jegou (right).
Photo: Tomas Cuesta / Luis Robayo / AFP

Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find disturbing

Two French rugby national players have been accused of aggravating the rape of a woman after a test in Argentina, the South American country’s public prosecutor’s office said.

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

She claimed she was repeatedly raped and beaten 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 continue to investigate.

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

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 several times to escape, Romano said.

Her client went to hospital on Thursday after feeling emotionally and physically unwell as a result of the incident and is 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), Florian Gill, who was 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.

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

– BBC