France international rugby players Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou were on Thursday facing a second day under house arrest as they await trial for on charges of raping a 39-year-old woman following France’s match against Argentina on 6 July in Mendoza.
Auradou, 20, and Jegou, 21, were arrested on 8 July in Buenos Aires as the France squad was on the verge of leaving for a match against Uruguay in Montevideo.
The woman accused them of raping her multiple times and beating her in a room at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza, north-western Argentina.
Auradou and Jegou, who play for the French top flight sides Stade Palois and Stade Rochelais respectively, deny the accusation. They say they had consensual sexual relations with the woman.
“Given the level of evidence and the absence of procedural risk, it is possible to grant house arrest with personal bond for each of them,” said a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office in Mendoza.
“In addition, they will both be fitted with electronic bracelets.”
The pair were charged with aggravated gang rape on 12 July. They face between eight and 20 years in prison if convicted.
On Tuesday, Florian Grill, the president of the French Rugby Federation, rejected suggestions that the tour of South America had been poorly managed.
“There is an extremely precise tour framework which has existed for years, based on autonomy and accountability,” said Grill.
