Continuation of the case of the XV of France in Argentina. Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were presented Friday to the Mendoza prosecutor’s office to be heard as part of an “indictment hearing” where they must answer accusations of rape with violence. In the afternoon, they were charged with aggravated rape, the most serious charge in Argentine law, and face up to 20 years in prison.
“The Mendoza Prosecutor’s Office Unit for Crimes against Sexual Integrity […] has formally charged the two French citizens who are the subject of an investigation by the Mendoza prosecutor’s office for sexual violence with penetration, aggravated by the participation of two people,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The citizens have chosen not to testify,” as they could have done, adds the prosecutor’s statement, which specifies that the two players, who arrived Thursday evening from Buenos Aires, “will remain in detention” while the request for placement under house arrest filed by the defense is examined, it is specified. The players’ lawyer, Cuneo Libarona, has in fact argued that “there is no danger of flight.”
The judicial authorities have also specified that they “will not make any statement to the media so as not to affect the course of the investigation and not to harm the complainant.” As for the players, they “are calm because they know they are innocent in this case, but of course they are worried about the situation,” their lawyer German Hnatow told the press after the decision.
House arrest requested
“For now, the charge is sexual violence, but there is a strong possibility that this could evolve into a charge combining other charges,” said Natacha Romano, the lawyer for the plaintiff, hospitalized Thursday, who denounces “sexual violence with penetration”, the judicial definition of rape in Argentina.
Under Argentine law, sexual violence can include acts ranging from sexual assault to aggravated rape, which could be punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“It’s a cataclysm,” admits Galthié
“We have been going through difficult times since Monday, with a trip with half the team to Uruguay and then with the preparation for this match on Saturday. These are very special times. It is a complex preparation,” declared the coach of the Blues Fabien Galthié on Friday evening before facing Argentina this Saturday.
“Since Monday, we have been taking the psychological aspect into consideration, obviously. Things have changed in this area. We have really done collective work. We also have mental trainers who support us. This is an area in which we have invested a lot this week. The impact on the group is real. It is a cataclysm, a trauma. We are very demanding on respect for the rules, the regulations but also the freedom of each person. We work on it every day. Without concession (he repeats). We try every day to build our group. And we will continue,” concluded Galthié.
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