How French ex-senator trial brings national attention to drug-facilitated sexual assault

Former French Senator Found Guilty in High-Profile Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Case

A Paris court has sentenced former French senator Joël Guerriau to 18 months in prison for drugging a fellow lawmaker with MDMA in a case that has drawn national attention to the issue of drug-facilitated sexual assault in France.

The 68-year-old Guerriau was also given an additional suspended sentence and banned from holding elected office after being found guilty of putting the drug, commonly known as ecstasy, into a glass of champagne he served to National Assembly member Sandrine Josso in November 2023.

The verdict comes amid heightened awareness of drug-facilitated crimes in France, following the landmark Gisèle Pelicot case that made international headlines earlier this year. Pelicot became a symbol of the fight against sexual violence after her ex-husband and 50 other men were convicted of repeatedly assaulting her while she was drugged.

Josso, 50, testified that she visited Guerriau’s Paris apartment for what she believed was a celebration of his reelection. The two had maintained a friendly professional relationship for years. Shortly after consuming champagne, Josso experienced severe symptoms including heart palpitations and uncontrollable shaking.

“I want the truth to come out. It’s important to me,” Josso told the court during the trial.

She left the apartment immediately and sought medical attention. Hospital tests revealed a substantial quantity of MDMA in her system—at levels far exceeding typical recreational use. After taking medical and psychological leave, Josso later recounted the traumatic experience to fellow lawmakers upon her return to the National Assembly.

“I went to a friend’s house to celebrate his reelection. I came out terrified,” she stated. “I discovered an assailant. I then realized that I had been drugged without knowing it. That’s what we call drug-facilitated assault.”

Guerriau maintained throughout the trial that the incident was accidental. He claimed another senator had given him MDMA months earlier to help with depression and anxiety. According to his testimony, he had prepared the drug in a glass for himself the previous night but didn’t consume it, then mistakenly served the same glass to Josso the following day.

“I feel really sorry for Sandrine. That’s something I never wanted,” Guerriau told the court. “I hope one day she’ll forgive me.”

However, evidence presented during the trial undermined his claims. Investigators testified that Guerriau had searched online for information about drugs, including ecstasy, in connection with rape approximately one month before the incident—a fact he attempted to explain away as research for his senatorial duties.

Despite calls for his resignation following the charges, Guerriau remained in the Senate for nearly two years before finally stepping down in October 2023, characterizing his departure as politically motivated and unrelated to the case.

The incident has propelled Josso into becoming a leading advocate in France’s fight against drug-facilitated sexual assault. She co-authored a parliamentary report on the issue and joined an association founded by Caroline Darian, Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter, to raise awareness about such crimes.

The parliamentary investigation highlighted significant gaps in France’s response to drug-facilitated crimes, noting a lack of comprehensive statistics and inadequate resources for victims seeking testing, particularly overnight or in remote areas.

France has only recently begun addressing legal shortcomings related to sexual assault. In October 2023, the country adopted legislation explicitly defining rape as any non-consensual sexual act. Previously, French law defined rape narrowly as penetration or oral sex using “violence, coercion, threat or surprise”—a definition that failed to adequately address cases involving drugging or incapacitation.

The issue extends well beyond France’s borders. In the United States, the Bill Cosby case dramatically raised public awareness about predators using drugs to facilitate sexual assault. While Cosby was initially convicted and imprisoned, Pennsylvania’s highest court later overturned his conviction in 2021 on technical grounds.

More recently in the UK, authorities charged Philip Young with 56 offenses, including repeatedly drugging and raping his now ex-wife Joanne Young over a 13-year period.

Despite increased awareness, France still imposes relatively light sentences for drug-facilitated crimes. Drugging a person to commit rape or sexual assault carries a maximum sentence of five years—half the penalty for drug possession alone, highlighting persistent gaps in how the justice system approaches these crimes.