Two French national team rugby players have been charged with raping a woman in Argentina.
Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou are accused of taking the woman back to their hotel in the city of Mendoza and sexually assaulting her after France beat Argentina on Saturday.
She claims she was repeatedly raped and beaten by Jegou, 21, and Auradou, 20, who allegedly prevented her from leaving for several hours.
The pair were arrested on suspicion of aggravated rape earlier this week and Argentine prosecutors authorised charges today.
Jegou and Auradou, who chose not to testify at a hearing, say they had consensual sex with the woman and deny rape.
The prosecutor’s office in Mendoza ordered both men to remain under detention until trial, reports AP.
It’s alleged the attack happened at the Diplomatic Hotel where the French national team players and staff were staying while on their tour of South America.
Natacha Romano, the lawyer representing the victim, says the woman met the players at a night club and was later subjected to ‘violent, non-consensual sexual acts and prevented from leaving’.
Ms Romano added that after escaping the room, she filed a police complaint and underwent physical examinations.
She says the woman also went to hospital yesterday suffering with both physical and emotional illness and is now receiving treatment.
Charges of aggravated sexual assault in Argentina carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison – and a minimum of eight.
Lawyers representing the players said they are confident of their version of events and claim the ‘sexual relations’ were consensual.
‘They are well and sure of their version, they are calm because they know they are innocent,’ German Hnatow said today.
‘But of course they are worried about this whole situation that they have had to live through.’
Mariano Cuneo Libarona said on Wednesday: ‘There are witnesses who saw her leave [the hotel]. There are cameras that saw her leave. Apparently no injuries are seen in the footage.’
French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Florian Gill, who is in Argentina, told AFP the players had ‘quite a different version of events’.
He said: ‘We are not judges. We are not investigators. But we think that the Argentine justice system should look at the case very quickly.’
France take on Argentina again on Saturday in Buenos Aires following a 28-13 victory last time out.
Flanker Jegou and lock Auradou, who both made their debuts against the Pumas last weekend, have been replaced in the squad by Judicael Cancoriet and Mickael Guillard respectively.
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