Head of Sciences Po university resigns, accused of domestic violence

French director of Sciences Po Mathias Vicherat, looks on during a conference with the European Council President, at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, on 28 March, 2022. © AFP - Thomas Samson

The head of one of France's leading universities said Wednesday he was stepping down after being ordered to stand trial in a domestic violence case.

Mathias Vicherat, director of the prestigious Sciences Po school in Paris, became the target of angry protests by students demanding his resignation after he and his partner Anissa Bonnefont were briefly detained in December, each accusing the other of domestic violence.