French XV players accused of sexual violence: Grill points out “inconsistencies” in the case

French Rugby Federation President Florian Grill hopes “that justice moves quickly,” as he explained to AFP after the arrests of two French XV players accused of rape in Argentina. The two rugby players involved, Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, were transferred on Wednesday to Mendoza, where the French XV had played Argentina on Saturday.

They were taken into custody after a young woman accused them of raping and “savagely beating” her in their hotel in Mendoza. “They have a rather different version. We dug deeper with a lawyer and we finally came up with information that seems to question the version that was widely broadcast in the Argentine media. We are not judges, we are not investigators, but we think that the Argentine justice system must still look at the case very, very quickly,” Grill explained.

“There are many inconsistencies in this case that we believe should be reviewed by the courts,” added the leader. “We went to see, today (Wednesday, editor’s note), in Mendoza, a right-hand man of the prosecutor and the person in charge of the case: the lawyer was able to present several points that question the initial statement and that will call into question several statements.”

Pau second row Hugo Auradou, 20, and La Rochelle third row Oscar Jegou, 21, are therefore being questioned as part of the investigation opened for sexual violence. In Argentine law, this can characterize facts ranging from sexual assault to aggravated rape which could be punishable by 20 years in prison.

“What we want now is for things to move quickly, if only to put them in residence in Mendoza… It’s a decision-making process that lasts between five and twenty-five days,” he continued. “There are two things: either they are guilty and there are no problems, we accept the sanctions. Or they are not, and in that case, even five days is too much! We respect the Argentine justice system, but things have to move quickly,” Grill added.

According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, it was indeed a rape accompanied by violence. “The most serious thing that was observed was a hematoma at the eye, the result of a punch,” she explained to us. “There are also traces of blows to the face, chin, chest, buttocks, back, traces of bites, scratches, blows to the legs. More than eight samples were taken to determine if there was sexual abuse by penetration. We are waiting for the results.”