Court decision on French rugby players trial pushed back to November 1

A court hearing to decide whether or not to close the case against two French rugby players accused of rape in Argentina has been postponed to November 1.

The delay was revealed by sources linked to the case in Mendoza on Wednesday, the same day it emerged that one of the plaintiff's lawyers had resigned.

Fellow plaintiff lawyer Natacha Romano also confirmed to the AFP news agency that the dismissal hearing will take place next week, instead of this Friday.

The change is due to “procedural appeal terms and judges’ and prosecutors’ scheduling issues,” explained Martín Ahumada, spokesman of the Mendoza Judiciary, in comments to AFP.

“Now that [the accused] are free, the proceedings may be postponed,” added Ahumada.

Meanwhile, it emerged that plaintiff lawyer Mauricio Cardello has resigned from the case, as confirmed to AFP by both the prosecution and the defence.

French international rugby players Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, both aged 21, are accused of the aggravated rape of a woman on the night of July 6-7 at a hotel in Mendoza, where the French team had just played against Argentina's national rugby team, the Pumas.

The players concede that they had sexual intercourse with the alleged victim, but deny any violence.

Both were released and authorised to leave Argentina when the case “lost strength,” according to the prosecution. They arrived back in France on September 4.

In the meantime, the defence has asked for the dismissal of the case, despite the plaintiff's objections.

Last Friday, Judge Eleonora Arenas heard arguements from both sides and summoned all parties to a hearing on October 25 to decide whether or not to grant the dismissal. 

The new date for the hearing is November 1.

The plaintiff has presented a last-minute report detailing that she does not suffer from a disease that the defence says would explain the 15 “markings or lesions” she had on her body after the alleged attack. 

She is seeking to known down one of the defence’s main arguments. They allege the victim suffers from Von Willebrand syndrome, a blood condition affecting blood clotting which can be prone to haematomas or bleeding.

The defence has also asked for the inclusion of several WhatsApp voice messages in which the plaintiff spoke favourably with a friend about the sexual encounter with the players. The woman’s lawyers allege the messages were taken out of context.

Initially detained and then subjected to house arrest in Argentina, Auradou and Jégou were released in mid-August.

– TIMES/AFP