Jegou-Auradou case: the complainant, who accuses French rugby players of rape, attempted suicide

The Argentine plaintiff who accused two French rugby players, currently charged and banned from leaving the South American country, of rape attempted suicide, her lawyers said on Monday, on the eve of a hearing where the defense intends to request a dismissal of the case.

The 39-year-old Argentine who accused the two players Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, currently charged and banned from leaving the South American country, of rape in early July attempted suicide in the early hours of Friday, her lawyers told AFP.

“Intensive treatment”

She “attempted suicide on Friday and, for this reason, did not show up for the hearing” that day, said Me Mauricio Cardello. She“is doing well”, but “will not show up” either at a rescheduled hearing on Tuesday, he added.

She “is currently undergoing intensive treatment”, her other lawyer, Natacha Romano, told AFP. She is “in an emotionally distressed state”, but “assisted by the psychiatrists of the public hospital", added Mr. Cardello.

The latter had explained on Friday to the journalists present in Mendoza the absence of his client at the hearing due to “gastric problems, quite severe pain", as a result of which “she was not in a condition to come". According to Mr. Romano, his complainant attempted suicide “around 3am (6am GMT) on Friday”, but the presence of her father prevented the worst. Quoted on Mendoza radio station Radio Mitre, she also said that she had already made another suicide attempt, but without specifying when.

Recap of the facts

Auradou and Jegou, two 21-year-old internationals, are charged with aggravated gang rape. The alleged events allegedly occurred on the night of July 6-7 in a hotel room in Mendoza (west, 1,000 km from Buenos Aires), where the French XV had just won a test match against Argentina. Both had honored their first selection.

The complainant, who had met the players at a nightclub and had gone with one of them to the hotel, said she had suffered rape and violence at the hands of both — “terrible violence” according to her lawyer. The accused admit to sexual relations, but claim that they were consensual and deny any violence.

Placed in custody shortly after their arrest on July 8, the two players were placed under house arrest on July 17, then released two weeks ago by decision of the prosecutor, although they are prohibited from leaving Argentina during the investigation.

In ordering their release, the prosecutor noted “notorious contradictions, inconsistencies, gray areas” in the complainant's version.

Pending request for dismissal ?

At Tuesday's hearing, Auradou and Jegou's lawyers, convinced that the prosecution's position had weakened in recent weeks, intended to file a request for a dismissal of the case, in order to obtain their return to France.

The announced absence of the complainant at Tuesday's hearing does not, a priori, prevent the players' lawyers from filing their request for a dismissal of the case, Martin Ahumada, spokesman for the Mendoza justice system, told AFP.

The hearing was also to present the results of a psychiatric assessment of the complainant, one of the last acts expected. If the defense files a request for dismissal, the prosecution will have to rule on it, then a hearing will be convened within a few days for a judge to examine it.

According to one of the players' Argentinian lawyers, Rafael Cuneo Libarona, the entire process could take about a week. But on Monday evening, while deploring the absence of the plaintiff at Tuesday's hearing, “frustrating the procedure”, Cuneo Libarona told AFP that he was “still evaluating” whether or not he would present the request for dismissal on Tuesday. Mr. Cardello has already indicated that the plaintiff's lawyers would formally oppose a dismissal of the case and would “continue to maintain that there was indeed sexual abuse”.