French Former Senator Guilty of Drugging Female Lawmaker with Intent to Sexually Assault Her
A French court has handed down a four-year prison sentence to Joël Guerriau, a former senator who was found guilty of drugging National Assembly MP Sandrine Josso with ecstasy with the intent to sexually assault her. The 68-year-old politician will serve 18 months behind bars, with three years and eight months suspended.
Guerriau's defense team has vowed to appeal the verdict, which comes after a high-profile trial that exposed the darker side of French politics. In November last year, Guerriau described an incident in which he accidentally drugged his friend over a decade ago, claiming it was an "idiot" mistake.
However, prosecutors argued that Guerriau deliberately administered MDMA to Josso's champagne in order to rape her, citing the former senator's own voting record on the issue of administering harmful substances with intent to commit rape or sexual assault. The court also heard that Guerriau had a history of calmness and composure, which was contrasted with the panicked state Josso was found in after consuming the poisoned drink.
Josso described how she left the apartment feeling unwell, her heart racing, before seeking medical attention. A toxicology report revealed a high dose of ecstasy in her blood, while Guerriau's flat yielded more of the substance.
The verdict has been hailed as a "huge relief" by Josso, who claimed she had struggled with the aftermath of the incident, including physical and psychological trauma, including nightmares and dissociation. Her lawyer described the ordeal as having caused her significant stress, resulting in four teeth being removed due to grinding.
Guerriau's own actions have been questioned throughout the trial, including his decision to put the glass of champagne back in the cupboard after pouring it into a glass earlier that day. He had initially stated that he was an "idiot" for not taking the substance himself, but this has been disputed by prosecutors who argue that Guerriau deliberately administered the MDMA with intent to commit rape.
The trial has sparked outrage in France over its handling of cases of drugging and sexual assault, which is now considered part of the broader definition of rape. The country's new law on consent has led to a reevaluation of the crime of rape, with prosecutors arguing that Guerriau was duty-bound as an elected official to set an example.
Guerriau, who served in the upper house from 2011 to 2025 and has a clean criminal record, will now face the consequences of his actions. As one of his lawyers noted, "emotion is a bad adviser, it erases all nuance," highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to understanding Guerriau's motivations and actions.
The verdict marks a significant milestone in France's ongoing efforts to address its culture of sexual assault and drugging. While there remains much work to be done, this conviction sends a powerful message that those who engage in such crimes will face justice.
A French court has handed down a four-year prison sentence to Joël Guerriau, a former senator who was found guilty of drugging National Assembly MP Sandrine Josso with ecstasy with the intent to sexually assault her. The 68-year-old politician will serve 18 months behind bars, with three years and eight months suspended.
Guerriau's defense team has vowed to appeal the verdict, which comes after a high-profile trial that exposed the darker side of French politics. In November last year, Guerriau described an incident in which he accidentally drugged his friend over a decade ago, claiming it was an "idiot" mistake.
However, prosecutors argued that Guerriau deliberately administered MDMA to Josso's champagne in order to rape her, citing the former senator's own voting record on the issue of administering harmful substances with intent to commit rape or sexual assault. The court also heard that Guerriau had a history of calmness and composure, which was contrasted with the panicked state Josso was found in after consuming the poisoned drink.
Josso described how she left the apartment feeling unwell, her heart racing, before seeking medical attention. A toxicology report revealed a high dose of ecstasy in her blood, while Guerriau's flat yielded more of the substance.
The verdict has been hailed as a "huge relief" by Josso, who claimed she had struggled with the aftermath of the incident, including physical and psychological trauma, including nightmares and dissociation. Her lawyer described the ordeal as having caused her significant stress, resulting in four teeth being removed due to grinding.
Guerriau's own actions have been questioned throughout the trial, including his decision to put the glass of champagne back in the cupboard after pouring it into a glass earlier that day. He had initially stated that he was an "idiot" for not taking the substance himself, but this has been disputed by prosecutors who argue that Guerriau deliberately administered the MDMA with intent to commit rape.
The trial has sparked outrage in France over its handling of cases of drugging and sexual assault, which is now considered part of the broader definition of rape. The country's new law on consent has led to a reevaluation of the crime of rape, with prosecutors arguing that Guerriau was duty-bound as an elected official to set an example.
Guerriau, who served in the upper house from 2011 to 2025 and has a clean criminal record, will now face the consequences of his actions. As one of his lawyers noted, "emotion is a bad adviser, it erases all nuance," highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to understanding Guerriau's motivations and actions.
The verdict marks a significant milestone in France's ongoing efforts to address its culture of sexual assault and drugging. While there remains much work to be done, this conviction sends a powerful message that those who engage in such crimes will face justice.
it's driving me crazy I was trying to have a cuppa tea and watch some Netflix but noooo it kept freezing and I had to restart my laptop like 5 times 
anyway, back to this news... I don't know about France being so strict with their laws now, seems kinda harsh but at the same time it's good that they're holding those people accountable. But what I did find interesting is how some politicians can be so calm and collected when it comes to doing wrong stuff... like Guerriau was, he's 68 years old and still managed to get caught in such a scandal 
. the fact that he had a history of calmness & composure but Josso was all shook up is just another example of how manipulative & controlling he was 
. anyway, i'm just glad this case is over & we can finally move on 2 more important things 
This is just crazy... how could someone do something like that? It's disgusting that Guerriau thought he could get away with it and still managed to convince everyone else he was an "idiot" 
. The fact that he had a history of calmness but Josso was panicking after drinking the champagne is just so suspicious! 
And what's even more shocking is that he's serving only 18 months for this? Four years is still a long time, I guess. But I hope Josso gets the support and help she needs to deal with the trauma she experienced 
. This whole case highlights how important it is to listen to women and believe them when they come forward with allegations like this 
. We need more accountability in our politics and a culture of consent, not some toxic nonsense that lets people get away with abuse 
.
4-year prison sentence for drugging female lawmaker with intent to rape her! 
According to the stats from the French judicial system, since 2015, there have been over 12,000 reported cases of sexual assault and drugging in France. That's a 25% increase every year! 
Let's break it down:
that's a huge relief for Sandrine Josso, she deserves all the support 
. France needs to keep pushing for change in their laws, it's time to reevaluate rape definitions & accountability 
. The whole thing is just so messed up... the toxicology report was pretty damning, and it's crazy he only got 18 months, considering what happened 
. And can we talk about how his own composure during the trial was suspicious? like, wasn't that a bit too calm for someone who'd just drugged someone with intent to assault them 
. Anyway, glad Josso got some closure, and hopefully this conviction will help send a message that these kinds of crimes won't be tolerated in France 
This verdict is definitely a huge relief for Sandrine Josso and her family. Four years might seem like a long time, but 18 months is still less than what some people get for similar crimes. I think it's sad that Guerriau had to resort to this kind of thing, but at the same time, it's great that he's being held accountable. The fact that France is now reevaluating its laws on consent and drugging is a step in the right direction too 
. It's crazy how some people think they can just use their power and influence to do whatever they want. I'm glad this trial has sparked outrage and will hopefully lead to more change 
. It's outrageous how some people think they can get away with drugging and raping others 
. The verdict is a huge relief for Josso and her family 
. This conviction sends a strong message that such crimes won't be tolerated in France 
.
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A huge relief for Sandrine Josso that the guilty verdict has finally brought some closure to her nightmare ordeal. The need for a more nuanced approach to understanding Guerriau's motivations and actions is clear