PARIS (Reuters) – A French prosecutor is investigating allegations that a woman in President Emmanuel Macron’s defence staff was raped by a colleague after a farewell party at the Elysee Palace, a judicial source said on Friday.
The newspaper Liberation, which first reported the story, said the young woman was raped on the premises of the president’s personal military staff on Rue de l’Elysee, the street adjacent to the president’s office, on July 1. The woman, who was not named, logged a complaint at the nearest police station immediately afterwards, Liberation said.
A judicial source confirmed to Reuters that an investigation into the rape allegations was opened on July 12.
There was nothing in the Liberation story to suggest any wrongdoing on Macron’s part. The president had already left the farewell party at the Elysee Palace when the alleged rape took place, the newspaper said.
An official at Macron’s office said in response to questions from Reuters that the office never commented on ongoing judicial investigations.
However, the official added that as soon as the alleged acts were brought to the attention of the authorities, “measures were immediately taken”, citing psychological support for the alleged victim and reassignment of the incriminated person away from the Elysee.
The office would await judicial investigations before deciding on any further action, the official said.
Earlier in his term, Macron was criticised for not making public allegations of wrongdoing against one of his security aides until the press revealed it weeks later.
(Reporting by Michel Rose and Matthieu Protard; Editing by Frances Kerry)
