Argentina charges two French rugby players with sexual assault

Argentine prosecutors have charged two French rugby players with aggravated sexual assault, the latest development in the gruesome case of a woman who said she was repeatedly raped by the athletes after they took her to their hotel room and prevented her from leaving.

The public prosecutor in the western city of Mendoza – where the alleged attack took place after a friendly match between the French team and the Argentine Pumas – ordered that the two players, Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, be kept in custody pending trial.

After their arrest in Buenos Aires, 21-year-old Jegou and 20-year-old Auradou were taken to Mendoza, 1,000 kilometers away, for their first court hearing. They chose not to testify at the hearing.

The French Rugby Federation had previously stated that the players had admitted to having consensual sex with the alleged victim and denied any acts of violence.

Prosecutors said the court would soon decide whether to grant the defendant’s request for house arrest.

The victim’s lawyer, Natacha Romano’s, account of the attack sparked outrage in France and also caused a stir in Argentina, where recent scandals involving professional athletes have raised questions about misogyny and sexual violence in the sports community.

The woman stated that after meeting the players at a nightclub, she was taken to their hotel room, subjected to violent, non-consensual sexual acts and prevented from leaving the room.

After escaping the hotel room, the victim reported the incident to police and underwent a physical examination, according to Romano.

In Argentina, aggravated sexual assault carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The minimum duration is eight years.