Maroc - dailynews.co.za - Sport - 10/Jul 16:23

Argentine woman raped and beaten by French rugby players: lawyer

The lawyer of an Argentine woman who has accused two French rugby players of rape said her client was savagely beaten and locked in a hotel room during an incident that the men claim was consensual.The two players with the national squad, Hugo Auradou, 20, and Oscar Jegou, 21, were being transferred Wednesday to the city of Mendoza where the sexual violence allegedly took place.The men were arrested in Buenos Aires on Monday, after the alleged victim was found with injuries consistent with her account of rape.Lawyer Rafael Cuneo Libarona, who represents the players, told AFP the team mates had admitted to having had sexual relations with the plaintiff but it had been "consensual sex, and at no time were there signs of violence or anything of that sort."The alleged victim's lawyer, Natacha Romano, told local Mendoza media that her client had been "savagely beaten" during the attack, with visible injuries to her face, head, ribs and legs.However, she told Radio Mitre that "the most serious of these crimes is the sexual assault with carnal access," the Argentine legal definition for rape.According to local media reports, the alleged attack took place Saturday night at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza, where France's players and staff were staying for a Test match as part of a South American tour.Police sources, who asked not to be named, told AFP that according to testimony, the players met the woman at a bar after Saturday's match, and went with her to the hotel."The main visible blow is a punch to one of her eyes, several blows to the head... to the ribs which are being checked for fractures," Romano told the Mendoza Post.She said the woman had been locked for four hours inside the hotel room where the alleged rape took place."Aside from the sexual assault, we are talking about a woman who was savagely beaten," Romano told El Sol newspaper.French rugby and sports officials have expressed shock at the allegations while stressing the importance of the players having the opportunity to tell their side of the story.AFP