A former French senator, Joël Guerriau, has been found guilty of spiking the drink of a fellow lawmaker with ecstasy in a case that has reignited debate around drug-facilitated sexual assault in France.
Guerriau, 68, was sentenced to four years in prison, with 18 months to be served in custody. The court also ordered him to pay €5,000 (£4,350) in damages to the victim, Sandrine Josso, for emotional distress. His lawyers have confirmed he will appeal the ruling.
The incident dates back to November 2023. Josso said she had gone to Guerrieau’s home three years ago to celebrate his re-election when she started feeling unwell after drinking from a champagne glass.“I had gone to visit a friend and I discovered an aggressor,” she said while giving evidence on Monday.
She explained that she feared showing weakness, worrying it might put her in further danger. Josso managed to leave the apartment and was later taken to hospital by a colleague. Toxicology tests revealed that her blood contained three times the recreational dose of MDMA.
Guerriau admitted serving Josso a drink containing the drug but claimed it was accidental. He told the court that he had been suffering from depression and had intended to take MDMA himself the previous night, but did not. According to his account, he mistakenly offered Josso the spiked drink the following evening.
“I feel sorry for Sandrine. I am disgusted with myself, with my recklessness and my stupidity,” Guerriau said in court, adding that he wanted to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs. He denied any intention to sexually assault her.
Prosecutors also questioned Guerriau about internet searches related to ecstasy and GHB. He said he had no recollection of them, describing them as passing thoughts while travelling.
Guerriau, a centre-right senator from the Horizons party, was suspended when the allegations became public and resigned from the Senate in October last year.
Josso, who remains a member of parliament for the centre-right MoDem party, described the verdict as a “huge relief”. She has since become a vocal campaigner against what is known as chemical submission — drug-facilitated sexual assault.
“What I went through is still very painful,” she said ahead of the trial. “Psychological trauma feels like being frozen in time.”
She has joined an association campaigning against chemical submission, founded by Caroline Darian, whose mother was a victim in another high-profile French case involving prolonged drug-facilitated abuse. Darian and her brother attended the Guerriau trial, underscoring the growing public focus on such crimes and accountability at the highest levels of public life.
Melissa Enoch
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