MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

French rugby players granted house arrest pending rape trial

Oscar Jégou and Hugo Auradou were transferred to an undisclosed residence in the area wearing tracking devices

Mendoza Judiciary authorities Wednesday granted French international rugby players Oscar Jégou and Hugo Auradou the right to wait for their rape trial under house arrest in the Argentine province's capital after Prosecutor Cecilia Bignert acquiesced to a request filed by defense attorney Rafael Cúneo Libarona, a brother and former law firm partner of federal Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona.

Both defendants have been transferred to an undisclosed residence in the area wearing tracking devices, it was also reported.

The two players were accused by a 39-year-old woman of raping her at the French team's hotel in Mendoza where they had participated in an international rugby match against Argentina's Pumas (national squad). According to the French Rugby Federation (FFR), the players admitted to having sex with her “but strongly denied any form of violence.”

If found guilty, they face up to between eight and 20 years in jail. Relatives of the players are in the South American country to assist them with their legal defense.

Lawyer Natacha Romano representing the players' alleged victim said her client needed to be hospitalized once again this week after a decompensation given her current state of mind after the events and insisted that she needed psychiatric treatment for the psychological consequences adding to the physical trauma.

According to local media, key testimony from the Cabify driver who gave the victim a ride as she left the hotel could result in a turn of events as he allegedly said it was a “normal” trip during which he did not see any signs of violence. However, he could not be fully sure since the passenger was riding in the back of the car.