Judge to rule on rape charges against French rugby players on December 10 – Firstpost

An Argentinian judge will decide Dec. 10 whether to dismiss charges against two French international rugby players accused of raping a woman after a match in the South American country, officials said.

The announcement Friday by judicial authorities in Argentina’s Mendoza province, where the attack allegedly took place, follows two days of closed hearings by Judge Eleonora Arenas on the matter earlier this week.

“The dismissal hearing will be held on Tuesday, December 10 at 9:00 am (1200 GMT),” state justice spokesman Martin Ahumada told AFP.

Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, both 21, were held in Argentina for weeks after the alleged attack in July.

Both the prosecution and the players’ lawyers argued that the charges should be rejected.

The complainant’s lawyer, Natacha Romano, accused the investigation of bias.

One of the players’ lawyers is the brother of Argentina’s justice minister.

Auradou and Jegou were arrested two days after winning their first international match for France against Argentina in Mendoza, about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires.

The woman they met at the nightclub on the night of their match against Argentina on July 6 said that they severely attacked her in the hotel room.

The players were held in protective custody for just over a week and then under house arrest for nearly a month before being allowed to return to France after prosecutors said the case against them had weakened.

Auradou and Jegou deny the accusations, saying the sex was consensual.