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Former French Culture Ministry HR Deputy Accused of Spiking Drinks of 200+ Job Candidates

A former deputy HR director at France’s Ministry of Culture, Christian Nègre, was indicted in 2019 on charges including sexual assault and drugging after dozens of women alleged he slipped a diuretic into their drinks during job interviews. Victims say the drug produced an urgent need to urinate and led to humiliating situations; court documents reportedly reference a log labeled "P Experiments" and photographs. Lawyers for the complainants say the acts were about domination and control. Nègre has not yet stood trial and his plea is unclear.

10:42 PM, 11/27/2025Society
Former French Culture Ministry HR Deputy Accused of Spiking Drinks of 200+ Job Candidates

Summary: A former deputy director of human resources at France’s Ministry of Culture, Christian Nègre, was indicted in 2019 on multiple charges after dozens of women came forward alleging he spiked their drinks with a diuretic during job interviews. The allegations describe urgent, humiliating situations that left victims shaken; legal proceedings remain pending.

Allegations and investigation

Christian Nègre was indicted in 2019 on charges that include sexual assault and drugging. Prosecutors say that, during recruitment meetings, he allegedly slipped a diuretic into candidates’ coffees or teas, provoking an overwhelming and urgent need to urinate that caused humiliation and loss of control during the interviews.

Record keeping and evidence

Court documents cited by French media report that Nègre kept a detailed log of the episodes under the heading "P Experiments," and that the records allegedly contained photographs related to the incidents. The existence of those records has been central to investigators’ review of the case.

Victim testimony

"I felt an increasing need to urinate," said one accuser, Sylvie Delezenne, describing a meeting in which she had been offered a coffee and later asked to walk with Nègre. "My hands were trembling, my heart was palpitating, beads of sweat ran down my forehead and I was turning red. I said: ‘I’m going to need a technical break.’ But he kept on walking." She says she eventually began to urinate and that Nègre offered to shield her.

Lawyers representing multiple complainants describe the alleged conduct as an abuse of power. "Under the pretext of a sexual fantasy, this is about power and domination over women’s bodies … through humiliation and control," said Louise Beriot, counsel for several of the women.

Current status and context

Despite the 2019 indictment, Nègre has not yet been tried and it is not publicly known whether he has entered a plea. The allegations have prompted questions about recruitment practices and oversight within the ministry, and they remain subject to the French judicial process.

Note on reporting: These are allegations; the accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in court. This article reports on the charges and accounts provided by accusers and legal filings.

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