Court permits French rugby players facing rape allegations to leave Argentina

An Argentine court on Tuesday allowed two French rugby players who have been held for almost two months on rape charges to leave the country.

During a hearing in Mendoza, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of Buenos Aires, the plaintiff's attorneys did not oppose a prosecution recommendation to authorize the pair to depart Argentina, meaning they can "leave the country from this moment," the court said in a press release.

Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou -- both 21 -- were arrested in Buenos Aires two days after winning their first international caps against Argentina in Mendoza in early July.

They were charged with the aggravated rape of a 39-year-old woman who claimed they raped and beat her in a Mendoza hotel room after their match.

The men deny the accusation, saying they had consensual sexual relations with the woman.

They were first held in a Mendoza prison, and later released on house arrest before being allowed to return to the Argentine capital last week pending a request for charges to be dismissed against them.

A date for that hearing has yet to be set.

"They can leave," provincial justice spokesman Martin Ahumada confirmed to AFP.

The ruling allowing the players to depart for France requires them to "appear if they are summoned to the Argentine consulate in France," to appear virtually "as often as required," or even to return "to appear in Mendoza if requested."