Foreign Student charged with Rape at Woodworth Retreat

WOODWORTH, La. (RPSO) – RPSO deputies responded to a local retreat in Woodworth on September 30 in reference to a criminal sexual conduct complaint.

The victim said that they had been assaulted sexually by Edouard Despalungue, 28, of Baton Rouge, another attendee at the retreat.

After an investigation, Despalungue was arrested for one count of sexual battery and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. He was later released on October 1 on a $25,000 bond.

As Despalungue is a French foreign national attending college in Louisiana, the judge also ordered Despalungue to relinquish his passport as part of his bond conditions.

The case was forwarded to Sheriff’s Detectives who established sufficient probable cause to upgrade the charge and obtain a warrant on Despalungue for second-degree rape.

On October 4, Rapides Detectives, with the assistance of deputies with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, located Despalungue and took him into custody without incident at his residence located in Baton Rouge. Despalungue was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison in reference to the warrant.