French rugby players Oscar Jégou and Hugo Auradou have arrived in Mendoza (north-west Argentina) where they are due to appear in court on Friday 12 July to answer charges of rape with violence. Their lawyer’s version of events is in conflict with that of the complainant.
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Arrested on Monday as part of the investigation opened for sexual violence while they were in the Argentine capital with the French team, Oscar Jégou and Hugo Auradou arrived in Mendoza on Thursday evening to be charged, after a journey of some 1,100 km. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. local time (11 a.m. UTC) on Friday, according to Mendoza prosecutor’s office spokesman Martin Ahumada.
At the same time, the Mendoza prosecutor’s office said that the two men would be placed in pre-trial detention pending trial. In any case, they will remain in custody, unless the defense presents evidence (sufficient) eand that a judge allows it. But the rule is that they remain detained “, he detailed. Also, still according to his representative, the complainant would be awaiting the results of the toxicology tests. She would have submitted to them voluntarily in order to know if there was any substance in her blood at the time of the facts.
More charges to come?
” The charge so far is sexual assault, but there is a strong possibility that this could evolve into a charge combining other charges. “, said Natacha Romano, the plaintiff’s lawyer. The alleged victim, aged 39, daughter and sister of lawyers, was hospitalised on Thursday for ” hypothymia ” And ” decompensation ” added Me Romano.
” The victim is currently hospitalized.added the lawyer on Friday July 12th on RFI. She suffered from hypothymia (mood disorder, Editor’s note) because of a general decompensation, due of course to the events that occurred on Sunday. (…) She is also on medication for her injuries. She has over 20 injuries all over her body. “.
Interview with Natacha Romano, lawyer for the plaintiff
When she read the news in the press, “ She was devastated, in total shock and fainted, partly because of the injuries revealed by the scan. “, she told a local radio station. For Nicolas Yungman, a psychologist at the Alvear hospital in Buenos Aires, it could be a case of “post-traumatic stress syndrome.”
Sexual relations were ” consented ” according to the lawyer of the accused
The second row of Pau (south-west of France) Hugo Auradou, 20 years old, and the third row of La Rochelle (west) Oscar Jégou, 21 years old, admit to having had ” a sexual relationship ” but have ” firmly denied any form of violence ” on the night of Saturday to Sunday at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza where French players and staff were staying, after the victory (28-13) of the French XV against the Argentinians.
Sexual relations ” consented “, reaffirmed their lawyer, Me Rafael Cuneo Libaronan, brother of the Minister of Justice, listing on Thursday several ” clues ” proving it: leaving the nightclub, getting into a taxi, entering the hotel, waiting for the player to go and get the room key. And according to Me Cuneo Libaronan, with the newspaper ClarinIt’s about a ” 40 year old woman who already knows what’s going on in life “He also denies that any blows were inflicted: ” She claims she was beaten, the cameras (hotel surveillance) say she wasn’t “.
Two opposing versions
But according to the plaintiff’s lawyer, ” It would be a particularly atrocious sexual violence “. Me Natacha Romano mentioned ” sexual violence with penetration “, the judicial definition of rape in Argentina. In Argentine law, sexual violence can characterize facts ranging from sexual assault to aggravated rape, which could be punishable by 20 years in prison.
According to Mr. Romano’s version, his client returned to the hotel with one of the two players involved, ” first identified as Hugo (Auradou) ». Still according to Me Romano, « when she realizes that it is not about having a drink, she asks to go to the bathroom. The young man understands that she wants to escape, he grabs her, throws her on the bed, he begins to suffocate her. (…) He punched her in the eye, which she still bears the mark from today. She also received blows to the head, as demonstrated by the reports and X-rays taken. She received blows to the chest, to the back, bites on the back, scratches, blows to the legs “.
The President of the Federation hopes that ” justice moves quickly »
After which, the first of six sexual abuses by Hugo Auradou allegedly took place. Then, ” After an hour, when the first abuse ends, a second man enters, Oscar “, the lawyer explains, then unfolding the sordid and violent details of the multiple alleged rapes. They deprived her of her freedom for at least three and a half, four hours. She tried to escape at least five times, talking to them, asking them in English to let her go home. “, assures Natacha Romano. Once the two men were asleep, she managed to escape.
French Rugby Federation President Florian Grill, who met the two players in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, said: ” let justice be done quickly ” Present in Mendoza, he indicates that ” the lawyer was able to explain (at the Mendoza Public Prosecutor’s Office) several points which question the initial statement and which will call into question several statements “The upcoming hearings should therefore play a decisive role in this case.