During a visit to the home violence hotline headquarters this week, French President Emmanuel Macron listened to live reports of a policeman refusing to help a woman in an emergency situation, according to media reports.
The 57-year-old caller said "Guardian" and "Le Monde" that her husband threatened to kill her after years of escalating violence. She reported to the police but was afraid to go home to get some things. That's why she asked the police to accompany her. But she evidently refused.
According to the reports, the woman was still in the police department. The counselor, who took the woman's call, also spoke with the policeman and tried to convince him to accompany the woman. Macron did not interfere with the conversation and did not reveal himself.
In France, 119 women were killed by their partner or ex-partner in 2018, according to activists. The latest official figures are from 2017. According to this, 130 women and 21 men were killed by their ex-partners or partners. In Germany, the same year according to the partnership violence statistics 141 women and 32 men were killed by current or former partners.
"Do you want to wait until she is really killed?"
The counselor tried several times to convince the police to accompany the woman. "You need to help the person in danger," she said. The policeman insisted that he needed the permission of a court to do so.
Macron shook his head and slid a note to the counselor. It was the task of the police to protect, if a concrete danger existed, with or without additional court approval, was on the slip. The counselor continued trying to convince the policeman. "This woman is threatened with death, do you want to wait until she is really killed?" She asked. Without success: In the 15 minutes the counselor spoke with the police, she could not convince anyone to help the woman.
The president asked the counselor after the conversation if such a thing happened frequently. "Oh yes, it happens more often," said the counselor. The reports did not reveal what happened to the woman who went to the police for help. The French gendarmerie has now announced an investigation into the case.
