RUGBY ‘BEASTS’
Woman ‘raped seven times by two French rugby stars who left her riddled with bite marks & with horror injuries’
Both men accused were seen being led away in handcuffs yesterday after denying all of the allegations
A WOMAN who was allegedly raped by two French rugby stars was left riddled with bite marks, scratches and horror injuries, the alleged victim's lawyer claims.
International rugby players Hugo Auradou, 20, and Oscar Jegou, 21, were arrested on rape and assault charges on Monday after an Argentinian woman claims she was attacked in a hotel room.
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The alleged 39-year-old victim's lawyer Natacha Romano has claimed the woman was raped at least seven times in Mendoza, Argentina.
Romano said the woman was left with "fierce" injuries that caused her to be hospitalised on Thursday after feeling emotionally and physically ill.
The lawyer says the alleged victim said her state was caused by "everything that happened".
She allegedly suffered injuries to her face, back, breasts, legs and ribs and was left with multiple bite and scratch marks, says Romano.
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The South American lawyer added that the victim said she was raped "at least six times" by one of the sports stars and once by the other.
She allegedly tried to escape several times.
Romano said: "The violence was fierce. There is more than one crime to investigate."
As she said there was "overwhelming proof that there was no consent is the victim's body".
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The alleged attack took place Saturday night at the Diplomatic Hotel where France's players and staff were staying.
The men have been out in South America on tour as they played Argentina the day of the alleged incidents.
Both men have denied any accusation of rape or assault and are expected to be formally charged today.
They say the sexual relations with the woman were all consensual when questioned at Interpol's Buenos Aires headquarters.
Their lawyer Rafael Cuneo Libarona said: "There are witnesses who saw her leave (the hotel), there are cameras that saw her leave, apparently no injuries are seen in the footage."
Romano accused the men of taking the woman from a nightclub back to a hotel room where she was allegedly held against her will and abused for several hours.
The alleged victim reportedly left the hotel at around 8:30 am on Sunday morning before going to Mendoza's Sexual Integrity Unit later in the day.
The unnamed woman is still receiving treatment at a health facility in Argentina and is expected to remain in care for 24 to 48 hours, Romano announced.
Pictures yesterday showed Auradou and Jegou being escorted by Argentinian Federal Police in handcuffs away from the Interpol offices.
Both men had their hoods up as they were led away.
Martin Ahumada, a spokesman for the Mendoza prosecutor's office, said they spent Thursday night at a police detention unit.
In Argentina, the maximum sentence for sexual assault is 15 years but it increases to 20 when two attackers are involved.
French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Florian Grill said the players have "a quite different version" of events compared to the woman and there are "a lot of inconsistencies" with the accusations.
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He said: "We are not judges, we are not investigators, but we think that the Argentine justice system should look at the case very quickly."
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra described it as “an unspeakable atrocity" if proven.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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