Police chief apologises for saying many rape accusations are false

Police chief Martin Vondrášek has apologised for statements he made in a video interview for Czech news site Aktuálně.cz on Monday saying that women's reports of sexual violence are very often fabricated. The police chief told the newspaper Právo on Thursday that he was sorry if his words had caused distress to victims of sexual violence and that had not been his intention.

He has received criticism from many sides since he made the statements on Monday, including from lawyers, NGOs, Interior Minister Vít Rakušan, and Government Commissioner for Human Rights Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková. Prior to his apology in Právo, he had stated on the police's website that he had not meant to trivialize the issue of sexual violence in any way and claimed that his statements were being taken out of context.