The two players of the French rugby team accused of allegedly raping a woman in Argentina have been in custody for a week in Mendoza, while their defence maintains they did not commit the crime.
Rugby players Hugo Auradou, aged 20, and Oscar Jegou, aged 21, were arrested on Monday July 8 in Buenos Aires, two days after the match of their team against Argentina’s Los Pumas, played in Mendoza.
On Friday July 12 they were charged with “sexual abuse with carnal access aggravated by the participation of two people”, against a woman they met in a bar after the match. This is the statutory definition of rape in Argentina. The athletes claim the sexual intercourse was consensual and they deny acting violently as the complainant points out through her lawyers.
The first witness statements are scheduled for Tuesday.
While being interviewed by AFP on Monday, their lawyer, Rafael Cúneo Libarona, pointed out that the evidence gathered are positive for his clients.
– How are the young men after one week in custody?
We visit them and we bring them clothes and food every day. They’re locked up in a very serious detention centre and they are taking very good care of them. It’s a very difficult situation and I’m still fully confident about their innocence. I saw them on their own on Monday morning and then I met their relatives at noon, Auradou’s parents are here and Oscar’s aunt and manager have also come.
