*This content was translated by AI.
Two French professional footballers have been detained on suspicion of group-raping a woman in her 20s.
French media outlet "EntreVues" reported on the 6th (Korean time), "Two players from AS Nancy's reserve team (second division) in France's Ligue 2 (second tier) have been indicted and are currently detained on suspicion of group rape."
The two are suspected of raping a 22-year-old woman between late night on the 25th of last month and early morning on the 26th. Nancy police arrested the two players on the 30th of last month. Francois Capent-Durost, the prosecutor in charge of Nancy, referred the two players to the Prosecution Service on the 2nd.
The presiding investigating judge formally indicted the two players on charges of group rape, and the court ordered their detention, accepting the request from the Prosecution Service. Investigative authorities have not yet disclosed the exact circumstances of the incident, the location of the crime, or the identities of the two players. The court applies the presumption of innocence to them until guilt is proven.
AS Nancy club issued an official statement on the 5th to address the situation. The club announced, "We have been notified of the detention of our players, and recognizing the gravity of the matter, we will actively cooperate with the judicial authorities' investigation." It added, "We will refrain from disciplinary action or further comment regarding the players until a legal judgment is made."
This incident is expected to be a major setback for Nancy's challenge for promotion to the top league. Nancy has previously won the Coupe de France (French Cup) once, the Coupe de la Ligue (French League Cup) once, and the Ligue 2 title five times. Currently ranked sixth in the league, they are closely chasing second place, which holds automatic promotion rights, by a four-point gap.
British media outlet "The Sun" pointed out, "Depending on the impact of the serious criminal allegations against their players, Nancy club's hopes for promotion could be dashed."
Recently, French football has been in turmoil due to successive involvement of professional players in violent crimes, including the rape allegation filed against Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain). With the detention of AS Nancy players over group rape added to this, shock and disappointment among local fans are expected to grow even further.
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*This content was translated by AI.
