3 Grenoble rugby players in custody over rape accusations

Published Mar. 23, 2017 6:24 a.m. ET

PARIS (AP) Three Grenoble rugby union players remained in detention on Thursday after being accused of taking part in a gang rape following a match in the southwestern French city of Bordeaux nearly two weeks ago.

The three detained men, whose identities were not revealed by Bordeaux prosecutor Marie-Madeleine Alliot, were among a group of six players from the Top 14 club placed in custody on Wednesday.

Police said the six players were prop Denis Coulson and center Chris Farrell, both from Ireland, former Australia player Peter Kimlin, French hooker Loick Jammes, and New Zealand pair Rory Grice and Dylan Hayes.

Kimlin said on Twitter that he had been helping police investigate the case involving the 21-year-old woman.

''I'm finally home after a long day helping the police with their investigation,'' Kimlin tweeted on Thursday. ''I want to clarify that I wasn't arrested. I was purely at the police station to help establish a timeline.''

The players had provisionally been suspended by Grenoble before they were quizzed by investigators, but the club said they were presumed innocent.

Alliot said in a statement on Thursday that the players were questioned after a young woman filed a legal complaint that she had been raped. According to French media, the woman had met the players in a nightclub after the March 11 game and told investigators she was raped in a hotel.

Alliot added that the three remaining in custody could be detained until Friday morning for the purpose of the investigation.