The Mendoza prosecutor's office granted the French rugby players, who are accused of rape in Argentina, house arrest after determining that there was no risk of obstruction of justice or flight, as required by Argentine law and jurisprudence.

"Given the level of evidence obtained and the absence of any procedural risk, it is possible to impose house arrest. Both will also be fitted with bracelets to monitor their movements," the Sexual Crimes Prosecution Office, which is handling the case, said in a statement.

"We have managed to move them from prison to a private home; we are very pleased. This is an important step forward for the two rugby players and for French rugby as a whole," said defence lawyer Rafael Cúneo Libarona, speaking to the media outside the prosecutor's office.

As a result, the two French defendants will leave their cell in the temporary detention centre of the Mendoza judicial centre and will be housed in a designated residence, in accordance with the strict conditions of the case, avoiding the general prison system during the criminal proceedings.

Auradou and Jegou were arrested last Monday in Buenos Aires, transferred to Mendoza on Thursday and formally charged on Friday with the crime of aggravated sexual assault between two persons (gang rape) after a woman reported meeting them in a nightclub in the provincial capital in the early hours of Sunday 7 July, just hours after a friendly match against the Argentine rugby team.

The prosecutor in the case, Cecilia Bignert, charged them with an aggravated crime that could carry a sentence of up to 20 years (due to the aggravating factor that it was allegedly committed by more than one person), instead of the 15 years provided for such crimes without aggravating factors under the Argentine Penal Code.

The French national rugby team players claim the sexual encounter was consensual and deny using physical force against the 39-year-old woman.

Though the victim, represented by lawyer Natacha Romano, accused them of raping her at least six times. She said one of the young men, along with the other defendants, also beat and bit her. Jegou, who was not present in court, shared a room with Auradou at the Diplomatic Hotel, where the attack allegedly took place.

The lawyer of the alleged victim did not object to the house arrest, saying that "as long as they are in our country, in Mendoza, it does not matter where they are detained".

On Tuesday, witnesses began to testify, including the taxi driver who took the woman from the Diplomatic Hotel, where Auradou and Jegou were staying, to her home at eight in the morning. Another crucial piece of evidence for the acquittal of the accused will be the security camera footage included in the case file.