French police say sorry to woman who tackled Macron on rape claims

• A woman confronted French President  Macron about rape allegations.
• Police officers subsequently visited the woman at her secondary school.
• Separate rape allegations have been leveled against Interior Minister.

Police in France have apologized to a woman for allegedly attempting to “intimidate” her after she confronted President Emmanuel Macron about rape allegations leveled against ministers.

During a visit to the southern Tarn region on Thursday, the woman, Laura, yelled at Macron, asking why he had “put men at the head of state who are accused of rape and violence against women.”

Separate rape allegations have been leveled against Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and new Solidarity Minister Damien Abad, both of whom have denied them.

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.

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She was reportedly asked if she wanted to file a complaint over comments she made during her exchange with the president.

But the woman, who characterized 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 apologize 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.

Thousands of people have shared images of the woman’s interaction with the president on social media.

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