Pardon Us: French Police' Apology To Woman Who Tackled President Macron
The woman, called Laura, had shouted at Macron during a visit to the southern Tarn region Thursday, asking why he had "put men at the head of state who are accused of rape and violence against women".
French police have apologised to a woman after allegedly seeking to "intimidate" her after she challenged President Emmanuel Macron on rape allegations made against ministers.
The woman, called Laura, had shouted at Macron during a visit to the southern Tarn region Thursday, asking why he had "put men at the head of state who are accused of rape and violence against women".
There have been separate rape accusations made against Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and the new Solidarity Minister Damien Abad, which both have denied.
In response, Macron said the men should be presumed to be innocent, as neither had been convicted.
Police officers subsequently visited the woman at her secondary school on Friday, interrupting a class she was attending to interview her, she told Le Parisien daily.
She could not be reached by AFP for comment.
She was reportedly asked if she wanted to file a complaint over comments she made during her exchange with the president.
Ads by
But the woman, who characterised the visit as "intimidating," said the conversation quickly turned to her comments the day before, with an officer telling her it "was not done".
In a statement on social media Friday, police said their visit "was simply aimed at contacting this person, who presented herself as a victim, to suggest they make a formal complaint, or failing that to offer them help.
"We would like to apologise to her if our move to meet her at the high school to discuss this was misperceived and she considers that we were clumsy," the statement added.
Images of the woman's exchange with the president have been shared thousands of times on social media.
The woman, called Laura, had shouted at Macron during a visit to the southern Tarn region Thursday, asking why he had "put men at the head of state who are accused of rape and violence against women".
There have been separate rape accusations made against Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and the new Solidarity Minister Damien Abad, which both have denied.
In response, Macron said the men should be presumed to be innocent, as neither had been convicted.
Police officers subsequently visited the woman at her secondary school on Friday, interrupting a class she was attending to interview her, she told Le Parisien daily.
She could not be reached by AFP for comment.
She was reportedly asked if she wanted to file a complaint over comments she made during her exchange with the president.
Ads by
But the woman, who characterised the visit as "intimidating," said the conversation quickly turned to her comments the day before, with an officer telling her it "was not done".
In a statement on social media Friday, police said their visit "was simply aimed at contacting this person, who presented herself as a victim, to suggest they make a formal complaint, or failing that to offer them help.
"We would like to apologise to her if our move to meet her at the high school to discuss this was misperceived and she considers that we were clumsy," the statement added.
Images of the woman's exchange with the president have been shared thousands of times on social media.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
