President Hollande’s former partner was at the centre of a new controversy last night after being reported to police for allegedly slapping a man in a café.
French media organisations said that a customer had filed a criminal lawsuit alleging that he had been assaulted by Valérie Trierweiler in a café near her Parisian home on Wednesday.
The row will do little to improve Mrs Trierweiler’s reputation in France, where she was condemned for publishing Thank You For This Moment, a kiss-and-tell book about her time with Mr Hollande. It will, however, generate a fresh round of headlines for the socialist leader just as he is seeking to appear less prone to gaffes in his personal life.
RTL radio station reported that the customer had approached Mrs Trierweiler and asked her about Mr Hollande. She took offence and demanded an apology. When he refused, she slapped him, the station said.
The man, who has not been named, told the police he had suffered “blows and wounding”, the equivalent of an assault allegation in Britain. The offence carries a sentence ranging from a fine of €750 to ten years in prison.
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Mr Hollande separated from Mrs Trierweiler, 50, in January after he had an affair with Julie Gayet, the actress.