French Rugby Duo Accused of Aggravated Sexual Assault Return to France After Court Ruling
By Priscilla Jepchumba
Two French rugby players accused of aggravated sexual assault in Argentina have returned to France after being arrested in the South American country.
Last month, a court in Mendoza released them from house arrest, and on Monday, the same court allowed the 21-year-olds to go home, although their trial continues.
A 39-year-old woman accused the members of the Argentine rugby team of beating, choking, and raping her in a luxury hotel room while she worked as a hostess during the World Cup. This has brought attention to what opponents call the damaging male culture among professional sportsmen.
The French Rugby Federation was pleased that the court allowed the athletes to depart from the country, asserting that it wished to hear what the claimant had to say while justice must wait to convict the players of any wrongdoing.
The public prosecution in Mendoza, approximately 620 miles west of Buenos Aires, imposed post-release conditions.
Auradou and Jegou agreed to attend hearings at Argentina's consular service in France and return to Mendoza whenever the court required it.
Auradou and Jegou both engaged in sexual relations with the claimant, whom they met in a Mendoza strip club after their victory over Argentina.
The claimant argues that the athletes sexually assaulted her, took her to their hotel room, and then locked her in against her will.
Days after she filed a criminal report, all the players were arrested while their team continued on to Uruguay to further its South American tour.
A judge in Mendoza agreed to allow Auradou and Jegou to return to France on Tuesday, lifting the ban that the accuser wanted the defendants to undergo more psychological tests.
On 12 August, one month after Auradou and Jegou were arrested, the court released them from house arrest due to apparent contradictions in the claimant's testimony, causing the prosecution to lose faith in its ability to build a strong case.
The claimant's lawyers unsuccessfully requested the dismissal of the prosecution's investigators, accusing them of bias and neglecting to consider the case from a gender perspective.
Their lawyer, Rafael Cuneo, addressed the press concerning the judge’s decision. “This is a super important first step,” he said, “It's perhaps more important even than the dismissal because the authorization to leave the country means that the legal system of Mendoza trusted the work that we did,” added Cuneo.
Aggravated sexual assault in Argentina is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
JUDY ROTICH