Two French rugby players charged with raping woman in Argentina

Prosecutors in Argentina have charged two French rugby players, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, with raping a 39-year-old woman. The accused Hugo is 20 years old, while Oscar is 21 years old.

These players belong to the visiting French rugby team that arrived in Argentina for a match. After France defeated Argentina on July 6, 2024, they raped the victim woman several times.

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The victim claims that the accused took her to their hotel room in Mendoza after meeting her at a nightclub. They beat her and sexually assaulted her there repeatedly. They also prevented her forcibly from leaving the hotel room.

Following this incident, the victim reported the incident to Argentinian authorities, who arrested both on July 10, 2024. The authorities presented them in court on July 12, 2024, where they refused to testify.

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However, the French Rugby Federation previously stated that the accused acknowledged having sex with the mutual consent of the victim and denied any acts of violence.

They will stay in the police custody as the authorities continue their investigation. Regarding the recent investigation, the prosecutors charged two French rugby players- Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou.

They said the court would soon decide whether to grant the suspect’s request for house arrest. Natacha Romano is the lawyer of the victim.

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According to Natacha, the suspects repeatedly raped and tortured her without the mutual consent of the victim in a hotel room. She managed to escape the room, filed a case with the police, and underwent medical examinations.

The charges of sexual assault in Argentina are the maximum sentence of 20 years in jail. However, the mandatory minimum sentence is eight years.

However, this incident has caused outrage in France and agitation in Argentina. The recent scandals involving professional players have also raised questions within the greater sports community about hatred and sexual violence against women.