Soldier claims she was raped at Elysee palace party attended by Macron

FRENCH prosecutors are investigating the alleged rape of a female soldier at the presidential palace in Paris by a colleague after an event attended by President Emmanuel Macron.

The alleged sex attack took place after a leaving event for a general and two other members of staff on July 1, according to French daily Libération.

The two soldiers were part of a group that continued drinking after Mr Macron left the reception around 10pm, the paper said, adding that the soldiers were colleagues deployed at the highsecurity general staff office at the presidential palace in charge of sensitive government matters.

It said the woman filed the rape complaint on July 1 at a nearby police station a few hours after the reception.

Prosecutors and the Elysée had kept the allegations quiet despite a wave of “Metoo”-style revelations regarding sexual assault or harassment against women in France in recent months.

The accused soldier was named an “assistant witness” after questioning by prosecutors on July 12, indicating he remains subject to further interrogations but has not been formally charged.

A presidential official told AFP that “as soon as the authorities were aware of these claims, measures were immediately taken” to support the alleged victim. Police took the accused soldier in for questioning before his release.

Florence Parly, the defence minister, has ordered a parallel inquiry that could see him brought before a disciplinary committee.

The timing of the revelation is unfortunate for Mr Macron in a week when he addressed the nation in what many saw as the unofficial launch of his reelection bid before next April’s vote.

The Elysée has been at pains to avoid scandals since revelations that Mr Macron’s bodyguard assaulted young demonstrators while posing as a police officer during a May Day protest in 2018.

Mr Macron has made tackling violence against women a key theme of his presidency.