French Rugby Players Charged with 'Aggravated' Rape in Argentina Case

Mendoza, Argentina: Two French international rugby players, Hugo Auradou, 20, and Oscar Jegou, 21, have been formally charged with aggravated rape of an Argentine woman following a night out after a match, according to a statement from the prosecution. At a hearing in Mendoza, where the alleged rape occurred after the France vs. Argentina game on Saturday, both accused opted not to testify.

The prosecutor's office officially charged them with "sexual assault with penetration aggravated by the participation of two people," under Argentine law. The defendants will remain in custody while further investigations proceed, pending a decision on a defense request for house arrest.

The arrest of Auradou and Jegou followed accusations by a 39-year-old woman who claimed they raped her multiple times and assaulted her in a Mendoza hotel room after the match. The French players deny the allegations, asserting that their sexual encounter with the woman was consensual.

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Interpol transferred the accused from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, a journey of approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), on Thursday. Meanwhile, the alleged victim, suffering emotionally and physically from the ordeal, was hospitalized on Thursday and is expected to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

In the event of conviction, the players face sentences ranging from eight to 20 years in prison. The victim's lawyer, Natacha Romano, described the assault as severe, detailing injuries to her face, back, breasts, legs, and ribs, along with bite and scratch marks. Romano asserted that the woman was raped multiple times by one of the men and once by the other, and attempted to escape several times during the ordeal.

According to Romano, the assault took place at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza, where the French rugby team was accommodated after their victory over Argentina. She stated that the woman accompanied one of the accused from a nightclub to a hotel room, where she was allegedly held against her will and assaulted for hours.

In defense, Rafael Cuneo Libarona, representing the players, claimed the sexual relations were consensual and cited witness accounts and hotel surveillance footage purportedly showing the woman leaving without visible injuries.

French Rugby Federation president Florian Grill, in Argentina for the matches, noted discrepancies between the players' account and the woman's allegations, emphasizing the need for a swift investigation by Argentine authorities.

Amid the legal proceedings, Auradou and Jegou have been replaced in the team lineup for the upcoming match against Argentina in Buenos Aires.