Sciences Po director leaves role temporarily after domestic violence allegations

Boss of elite French university Mathias Vicherat has been interviewed by police and denies claims against him

The director of once of France’s most prestigious higher education colleges, Sciences Po in Paris, is to stand down temporarily after being interviewed by police over accusations of domestic violence.

Mathias Vicherat said he would withdraw from his position for a period, the length of which was to be decided by the establishment’s governing bodies. He made the announcement after students at the college – whose alumni include Emmanuel Macron and several other presidents as well as prominent business leaders and top civil servants – staged a sit-in last week calling for his resignation.