Argentine Justice Rejects Medical Report in Auradou-Jegou Case
In a significant development in the Auradou-Jegou case, the Argentine justice system has rejected a medical report submitted by the complainant's lawyers. This report was intended to counter the defense's argument that the bruises on the alleged victim's body were due to a blood clotting disorder, a claim that the plaintiff's legal team vehemently disputes. The Mendoza prosecutor's office has confirmed that the scheduled hearing for October 18 will proceed as planned, where the defense's request for dismissal will be examined.
The complainant's lawyers have provided evidence from an independent haematologist, asserting that their client does not suffer from the disorder cited by the defense. However, the Mendoza prosecutor's office deemed this testimony "not useful" to the case, stating it would not alter the course of the proceedings. This decision follows the prosecutor's earlier ruling on October 4, which favored dismissing the case before it could go to trial.
Both rugby players, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, aged 21, face charges of aggravated rape stemming from an incident alleged to have occurred on July 6-7 in Mendoza, Argentina, after a test match against the national team. They maintain that their interactions with the complainant, whom they met at a nightclub, were consensual and deny any claims of violence. The complainant's lawyer has described the incident as involving "terrible violence" against her client, who was reportedly "savagely beaten." After being detained and placed under house arrest, Auradou and Jegou were released in mid-August and returned to France on September 4. Since then, they have resumed their professional rugby careers, with Auradou recently playing in the Top 14 championship.
