Plaintiff’s lawyers request disqualification of prosecutors

Return to France postponed for the two rugby players accused of raping a 39-year-old Argentinian woman. The lawyers of Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou had asked the courts on Friday to lift the ban on the two players leaving the country, who are free but awaiting the examination of a request for dismissal of the case. A decision by the public prosecutor “on the request to leave the country should be made on Monday or Tuesday,” said Martin Ahumada, spokesman for the provincial justice system in Mendoza.

But a new twist occurred on Monday. The plaintiff’s lawyers, Natacha Romano and Mauricio Gardello, have requested the recusal of the prosecutors in charge of the case, according to information from the Argentinian media. Daily One and of The Team. They accuse the public prosecutor of taking the side of the two French internationals. Last Tuesday, the latter, who had recovered their passports, left Mendoza for the capital Buenos Aires 1,000 km away, and an unknown place of residence.

Also readJégou-Auradou case: the complainant reveals photos of the violence she says she suffered

In their recusal argument, to which AFP had access, the plaintiff’s lawyers listed a series of grievances against the two prosecutors, Dario Nora and Daniela Chaler, which they said “judge instead of investigating”.

Seeming to anticipate imminent authorization to leave the country for the two players, the lawyers deplore that“They will be rewarded with permission to return to their country (…) to resume their normal lives, while the complainant suffers irreparable harm as a result of the facts reported.”.

Allowing players to leave Argentina at this stage would represent “an institutional scandal never seen before”denounce the lawyers

Their argument refers in particular to the plaintiff’s suicide attempt ten days ago and the fact that she remains hospitalized to this day. Allowing the players to leave Argentina at this stage would represent “an institutional scandal never seen before”denounce the lawyers, especially since the last procedural acts, in particular psychological assessments, still have to be validated.

On Friday in Mendoza, the plaintiff did not show up for a hearing for the third consecutive time, a week after a suicide attempt, revealed on Monday by her lawyers. She is still hospitalized, said Me Mauricio Cardello on Friday, without being able to specify her recent state of health. The lawyers of the French players had filed a request for dismissal on Tuesday and they were waiting for a response on Monday.

A dismissal to which the plaintiff’s defense had formally opposed because “We do not consider the conditions to be met”Me Cardello had reaffirmed on Friday. Regarding authorizing an exit from Argentina, “we will express what we think”, but despite this advisory opinion, if the prosecution had decided to lift the ban “It will be effective and they will be able to leave,” the complainant’s lawyer had however clarified.

Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, two 21-year-old internationals, are charged with aggravated rape because they were gang raped. The alleged events occurred on the night of July 6-7 in a hotel room in Mendoza, after the French XV’s victory against the Pumas. The accused admit to sexual relations, but claim that they were consensual, and deny any violence.