French rugby players accused of gang rape: their lawyer fears they will be stabbed in prison

This day, shortly before noon, The prosecutor’s unit of Mendoza formally charges players of the French rugby team for crimes against sexual integrity He was arrested last Sunday on charges of raping a woman in that provincial capital.

so, Oscar Jégou and Hugo Araudou He was charged by Deputy Prosecutor Cecilia Bignert with the crime of sexual abuse, gang rape with the participation of two people. figure of a gravely offensive actfor which their arrest was originally requested, was immediately removed from classification. Both defendants decided not to testify in the file today. Their lawyer, Rafael Cuneo Liberona, brother of the current Minister of Justice, took advantage of the house arrest, It is requested that the matter be resolved by the judge in the coming days.

The players arrived at their cells at the Judicial Pole in the capital of Mendoza shortly after 11pm last night.after traveling from Buenos Aires since 8 a.m. in a Mendoza police van. It is not ruled out that they will be transferred to a regular prison if the rescue request is not successful. One prison that could keep them is San Felipe Prison, where Gil Pereg, the “Cat Man”, was originally imprisoned Sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his mother and sister.

During this, Lawyer Cuneo Liberona is expected to have contact with the file. The fear of what might happen to the accused in prison, even if they are two athletes two metres tall each, is remarkable.

“They are two 20-year-olds who don’t speak Spanish, who have no background, who came to Argentina to represent their country. They have no way to escape Argentina. House arrest would be the most prudent thing to do to protect the physical integrity of my clients.“In conversation with the lawyer says Infobae.

“Sex crime accusations lead to potential retaliation in prison population”He continued.

-Are you afraid he will suffer retribution in prison?

-One hundred percent. It is a legitimate concern and fear. House arrest guarantees the continuity of the criminal process, without harming the alleged victim. We have to safeguard the physical integrity of the defendants. In the meantime, we will continue to process the case. I have never raised a case of sexual harassment, nor would I do so.But here, I believe in the innocence of both players.

During this, In the past few hours, a video was released showing Araudo at the Bierlin bar in the Mendoza capitalShortly before meeting his complainant, published by Channel 7.

The victim, represented by lawyer Natacha Romano, accused him of He abused her at least six times. The woman says the man, along with the other accused, also hit and bit her. Jegou, who was not present at the bar, shared a room with Araudou at the Diplomatic Hotel, where the attack allegedly took place.