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The presumed victim of the aggravated rape, for which the two French rugby players are accused, was heard again this Tuesday by the magistrate in charge of the case. The defense lawyer speaks of a “demonstration of their innocence”.
The complainant, aged 39, was heard for more than four hours in Mendoza, Argentina, in the presence of her lawyers and those of the defense, by the prosecutor of the sexual integrity offenses unit, Dario Nora. The two players, Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, who are under judicial supervision, are finally set to be heard on Thursday.
Tuesday’s hearing was a complementary statement to the initial deposition from July 7, “mainly for clarifications,” stated the complainant’s lawyer, Natacha Romano, to the press. A statement “flawless, very moving, the victim held herself together, and at one point we allowed her brother to come in, to support her”, she added.
During the hearing, she was made to listen to audio messages related to the events, “which is authorized despite the moment’s feeling of re-victimization, but she was able to calmly explain each of them,” the lawyer added.
“Different versions were accommodated (…) The prosecution noted several contradictions between her first and second statements.”
Maître Cuneo Libarona, Argentine lawyer for Jegou and Auradou
The Argentine lawyer for Jegou and Auradou, Rafael Cuneo Libarona, provided a categorically different interpretation of the hearing, believing that “the innocence of the two rugby players has been demonstrated,” even if he cannot at this stage “provide details.” “There were notable contradictions” between the complainant’s statements “and, what is worse, different versions were accommodated (…). The prosecution very well noted certain contradictions between her first and second statements”, he assured.
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Auradou and Jegou, both 21 years old, are accused of aggravated rape in concert on the night of July 6 to 7 in a hotel room in Mendoza, 1000 km from Buenos Aires, where the French national team had just played a test match against Argentina. They had just received their first selection. The two players of the French national team acknowledge a sexual relationship with the complainant, who claims to have been beaten and raped, but maintain that it was consensual and deny any form of violence.
The two players finally heard on Thursday
Arrested on July 8 in Buenos Aires, where the French delegation had returned, they were transferred to Mendoza on July 11 and charged the next day. They left the detention center on July 17 after being placed under judicial supervision.
The two players during their hearing on Thursday “will answer all the questions from the judge, the complainant or us, absolutely everything”, assured Me Cuneo Libarona.
