French rugby stars accused of rape placed under house arrest in Argentina

French rugby players Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou were held under house arrest for a second day on Thursday while they await trial on charges of raping a 39-year-old woman after France’s match against Argentina in Mendoza on July 6.

Auradou, 20, and Jegou, 21, were arrested in Buenos Aires on July 8 as the French team was about to leave for a match against Uruguay in Montevideo.

The woman accused them of repeatedly raping and beating her in a room at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza, northwestern Argentina.

Auradou and Jegou, who play for French Premier League clubs Stade Palois and Stade Rochelais respectively, deny the allegations. They say they had consensual sexual relations with the woman.

“Given the evidence and the lack of procedural risk, it is possible to impose house arrest on bail for each of them,” said a spokesman for the Mendoza Public Prosecutor’s Office.

“In addition, both will be equipped with electronic bracelets.”

On July 12, the two women were charged with aggravated gang rape. If convicted, they face eight to twenty years in prison.

Difference

Florian Grill, president of the French Rugby Federation, on Tuesday rejected allegations that the South American tour had been poorly managed.

“For years there has been an extremely precise touring framework based on autonomy and responsibility,” said Grill.

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