An Argentine court in Mendoza has granted permission for two French rugby players, held on rape charges for almost two months, to leave the country. The decision came during a hearing on Tuesday, approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of Buenos Aires.
Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, both 21, were arrested in Buenos Aires two days after making their international debuts against Argentina in Mendoza in early July. They face charges of aggravated rape, accused by a 39-year-old woman of raping and beating her in a Mendoza hotel room following their match.
The players deny the accusation, maintaining that they had consensual sexual relations with the woman.
During the hearing, the plaintiff’s attorneys did not oppose a prosecution recommendation to authorize the pair’s departure from Argentina. The court stated in a press release that the players can “leave the country from this moment.”
Martin Ahumada, a provincial justice spokesman, confirmed to AFP, “They can leave.”
The court’s ruling, however, comes with conditions. The players are required to “appear if they are summoned to the Argentine consulate in France,” to participate virtually “as often as required,” or even to return “to appear in Mendoza if requested.”
Initially held in a Mendoza prison, the players were later released on house arrest before being allowed to return to Buenos Aires last week. This move came as they awaited a hearing on a request to dismiss the charges against them, for which a date has not yet been set.
