Argentine court allows two French rugby players accused of rape to return home while investigation continues

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine prosecutors said on Monday they would allow two French rugby players accused of brutally raping a woman to return home, although the case over the explosion was still ongoing.

A judge in the western Argentine city of Mendoza, where the alleged attack took place, has yet to sign off on a decision that clears the way for the departure of two French international players, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou. The 21-year-old athletes were arrested in early July after a woman filed a complaint accusing them of multiple rapes. They maintain their innocence.

The 39-year-old Argentine’s terrifying story shocked the French rugby world and caused a media storm in Argentina.

The public prosecutor’s office in Mendoza, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of Buenos Aires, confirmed the decision to allow the defendants to leave the country, outlining a series of conditions after their release as it continues to pursue the case against them. Auradou and Jegou agreed to appear before Argentine consular officials in France, establish a legal address and return to Mendoza at the court’s request, the prosecutor’s office said.

Prosecutor spokesman Martín Ahumada told reporters that a judge would decide whether to allow Auradou and Jegou to leave on Tuesday, after a court hearing to assess their mental health.

The rugby players have admitted having sex with the plaintiff, who they met at a nightclub in Mendoza while celebrating their win over Argentine team Pumas on July 7, but insist the encounter was consensual.

After being arrested in Buenos Aires while their teammates continued on a regional tour in Uruguay, Auradou and Jegou were moved to house arrest in Mendoza in mid-July, where they stayed for a month until a court ordered their release. In a surprising reversal, the case against them appeared to be crumbling last month when prosecutors admitted there were glaring inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony that undermined its credibility.

In her criminal complaint, the plaintiff alleged that Auradou and Jegou took her back to the five-star Mendoza Hotel, beat, strangled and raped her, and prevented her from leaving the room. Her lawyer said she was later hospitalized for various injuries, including a bleeding ulcer, and received medical treatment for shock and extreme stress.

In Argentina, the crime of sexual assault in particular is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.