The decision was made on Tuesday, the day after the recommendation of the Public Prosecutor of Mendoza. Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, the two rugby players of the French XV accused of rape in Argentina, where they have been for almost two months, have authorization to leave Argentine territory. “from now on”Following the decision of a judge on detention and freedoms, issued during a hearing on Tuesday, September 3, the provincial court of Mendoza (west) announced that they are still being pursued by the Argentine justice system in this case.
The prosecutor’s office did not object to the recommendation issued Monday by the Mendoza prosecutor’s office, the court said in a statement. The prosecutor’s office ruled in favor of allowing the two players to leave the country. “so they can travel to France.”
The agreement in principle given by the prosecution is “with rules”Martín Ahumada, spokesman for the provincial justice system, said on Monday: “ For example, if they are summoned to the Argentine consulate in France, they must establish a real and virtual address, and they must appear in Mendoza. [ville située à 1 000 kilomètres de Buenos Aires] if asked. »
Posted three weeks ago.
Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, both 21, are accused of aggravated rape in an encounter, on the night of 6-7 July, with a 39-year-old Argentine woman, in a hotel room in Mendoza – 1,000 kilometres away from the capital, Buenos Aires – where the XV of France had come from playing a test match against Argentina.
The alleged victim, who met the players in a nightclub and followed one of them to the hotel, said she suffered rape and violence in her room. The defendants admit to having had a sexual relationship, but claim it was consensual and deny any violence. The two XV de France players were imprisoned following their arrest on July 8, 2024, and then placed under house arrest on August 17 in Mendoza.
Considering that the “Insufficient elements have not been gathered” To justify the house arrest of the French rugby players, the Public Prosecutor of the province of Mendoza decided to release them on Monday, August 12, while placing them under judicial supervision, forcing them to remain in Argentina while the investigation continues. Both players collected their passports and left Mendoza for Buenos Aires. On Friday, their lawyers asked the courts to lift the ban on leaving the country.
Request for recusal of prosecutors rejected
Possible turning point in the case, the plaintiff’s lawyers filed, on Monday, a request to disqualify the prosecutors in charge of the investigation because, according to them, “mental violence and lack of objectivity”.Listing a series of grievances and shortcomings in the investigation, they accused the magistrates of having “judging instead of investigating”.
Following an ad hoc hearing held on Monday, the Mendoza Public Prosecutor’s Office rejected the request for recusal, arguing in a press release that “The alleged hypothesis, that is, the loss of objectivity of the magistrates involved, has not been proven” by the applicants.
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The players’ French lawyer, Antoine Vey, files a complaint in the appeal for recusal “another delaying tactic, [qui] does not change the phase of the file in any way”neither “the basic elements”A date for the examination of the dismissal application has not yet been set, but it could take place within a few days.
