According to a source close to the investigation, AFP revealed on Friday, June 27, that French Senator Joel Guerriau has been ordered to stand trial for allegedly drugging Sandrine Josso, a fellow parliamentary deputy, with the intention of sexually assaulting her.
Two investigating magistrates made the decision after concluding their investigation on the claimed November 2023 incident. Guerriau, 67, is suspected of adding MDMA (ecstasy) to a glass of champagne that Josso, 49, drank, according to the judges' report seen by AFP. According to the report, his intention was to sexually assault or rape her.
Two investigating magistrates made the decision after concluding their investigation on the claimed November 2023 incident. Guerriau, 67, is suspected of adding MDMA (ecstasy) to a glass of champagne that Josso, 49, drank, according to the judges' report seen by AFP. According to the report, his intention was to sexually assault or rape her.
Guerriau will be tried for drug possession in addition to the main counts.
The investigative program Complément d'enquête on France 2 was the first to report on the development. Shortly after being indicted in late 2023, Guerriau, who has served in the French Senate since 2011, was suspended by the Horizons party, which is led by former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
The investigative program Complément d'enquête on France 2 was the first to report on the development. Shortly after being indicted in late 2023, Guerriau, who has served in the French Senate since 2011, was suspended by the Horizons party, which is led by former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
In a statement, Joel Guerriau's attorneys Henri Carpentier and Marie Roumiantseva disputed the accusations made against him. They insisted that their client has "no fear of the truth" and that the facts would come to light during the trial, "far from the caricatures and rumors put about until now."
Arnaud Godefroy, Sandrine Josso's attorney, called the court's ruling a validation moment, saying it "reflects the seriousness of her complaint." Guerriau has denied that he intended to attack Josso, saying that the incident was the consequence of a "handling error" rather than intentional behavior.
Arnaud Godefroy, Sandrine Josso's attorney, called the court's ruling a validation moment, saying it "reflects the seriousness of her complaint." Guerriau has denied that he intended to attack Josso, saying that the incident was the consequence of a "handling error" rather than intentional behavior.
In France, where recent high-profile court cases have increased scrutiny of sexual violence and drug-facilitated assaults, the case has garnered attention. It comes after Dominique Pelicot was found guilty in 2023 and given a 20-year prison sentence for regularly drugging his wife so that he and others could rape her. This case garnered international attention.
Additionally, the senator's charge coincides with French lawmakers' attempts to bolster safeguards against sexual violence. A law that would define rape as any sexual act without consent was approved by the French Senate earlier this month, bringing the nation's legal system into line with that of Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, among other European countries.
Additionally, the senator's charge coincides with French lawmakers' attempts to bolster safeguards against sexual violence. A law that would define rape as any sexual act without consent was approved by the French Senate earlier this month, bringing the nation's legal system into line with that of Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, among other European countries.
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