The trial of Rugby players accused of gang rape will therefore take place almost completely behind closed doors. This was what the president of the Assize Court of Gironde, in Bordeaux, said this Monday, December 2, where two weeks of debates began shortly after 2 p.m.
According to the order taken from the courtroom, the only people authorized to attend the discussions, outside the court (jurors, lawyers, civil parties, defendants, interpreters, etc.), are two toxicologists and the aid association to victims of sexual violence accompanying the complainant. It was 2:47 p.m. when the president asked the press and the public to leave the room.
Preserve the anonymity of the complainant
The media, including Le Parisien, were nevertheless present in large numbers. Thirty-five journalists are accredited for this trial, three times more than last June when it had to be postponed due to the inability of one of the accused to travel. Requested by the civil party in order to preserve the privacy and anonymity of the complainant, the closed session was granted without debate, with the exception of reflections from the defense lawyers, Me Dreyfus (counsel for Loïck Jammes) and Me Dreyfus-Schmidt (counsel for Denis Coulson). The latter regret the media comments of Me Anne Cadiot-Feidt, lawyer for the plaintiff.
Before the closed session, the jury was drawn, based on 31 present in the room (18 men, 13 women). Finally, there are six full members (four men, two women) and four alternates (three men, one woman). The prosecution and the defense have each exhausted the number of possible challenges (three for the prosecution, four for the defense) to appoint these jurors. The six holders will have the task of deliberating at the conclusion of this trial, scheduled for Friday, December 13.
Up to 20 years of criminal imprisonment
This Monday afternoon, the trial began with the study of the personalities of the defendants for non-prevention of crime, namely the Irishman Christopher Farrell, still active in Oyonnax, and the New Zealander Dylan Hayes, without a club. These two men risk up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.
From Tuesday, the court will study the personalities of the three accused of gang rape, namely the Irishman Denis Coulson, who became manager of a construction site in Ireland, the Frenchman Loïck Jammes, Provence Rugby player, and the New Zealander Rory Grice, Oyonnax Rugby player.
These three men risk up to 20 years of criminal imprisonment for these facts dating back to March 2017. They are accused of having brutally raped a young woman then 20 years old in a Bordeaux hotel after a match with their club from Grenoble.
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