Overview
- The two-day trial opened in Paris on January 26 for Joël Guerriau, who is charged with secretly administering a soporific substance with intent to commit a sexual assault or rape, an offense carrying up to five years in prison.
- MP Sandrine Josso alleges Guerriau invited her in November 2023 to celebrate his reelection, urged repeated toasts, and that she felt acutely unwell before fleeing and filing a complaint.
- Forensic testing detected a high dose of MDMA in Josso’s blood, and investigators say they seized about 30 grams of ecstasy from Guerriau’s residence.
- Prosecutors point to device searches for terms including “drugs and rape” and “effects of ecstasy,” while Guerriau denies wrongdoing and claims an accidental administration.
- Guerriau remained in the Senate until October 2025, and the case has fed a broader French debate on drug-facilitated assault as Josso advocates free emergency toxicology tests for victims.