Ex-Senator Joël Guerriau On Trial Over Alleged MDMA Drugging Of MP Sandrine Josso

More than a year after a series of cases that spotlighted drug-facilitated sexual violence in France, former senator Joël Guerriau, 68, is on trial in Paris accused of slipping MDMA into a champagne glass served to Member of Parliament Sandrine Josso in November 2023. Guerriau has acknowledged giving Josso a drink that contained drugs but insists the act was accidental. The case has reignited national debate about how authorities investigate and prosecute sexual assaults where victims may be chemically incapacitated.

Member of Parliament Sandrine Josso, center, arrives at the courtroom, in Paris, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Allegations

Prosecutors say Guerriau put MDMA — commonly known as ecstasy — into a glass of champagne he served Josso. According to Josso, a centrist MP who had known Guerriau for years, she began feeling unwell soon after drinking and experienced severe symptoms including heart palpitations and a sense of impending cardiac arrest. She told colleagues she saw a small packet in Guerriau’s hand before leaving and seeking emergency care; hospital tests detected a substantial amount of MDMA in her bloodstream, reportedly far above typical recreational levels.

Member of Parliament Sandrine Josso arrives at the courtroom, in Paris, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Defence And Court Proceedings

Guerriau is charged with possession and use of narcotics and with secretly administering a substance that alters judgment to facilitate rape or sexual assault. His lawyers say he kept drugs at home because he was suffering from depression and that he intended to take them himself. They describe the incident as a "handling error" — saying Guerriau placed the drugs in a glass the day before and unintentionally offered that same glass to Josso. Guerriau denies any intention to drug or assault her.

French former senator Joel Guerriau, center, and his lawyer Henri Carpentier, arrive at the courtroom, in Paris, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The two-day trial opened Monday in a packed courtroom. Guerriau has been placed under judicial supervision. During the reading of the investigative findings, Josso appeared visibly distressed. Investigators also reported that Guerriau searched online about drug use and rape roughly a month before the November incident. No verdict has yet been delivered.

French former senator Joel Guerriau arrives at the courtroom, in Paris, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Context: Echoes Of The Pelicot Case

The trial has renewed attention on drug-facilitated sexual violence in France after the landmark Gisèle Pelicot case, in which Pelicot’s ex-husband and 50 other men were convicted of sexually assaulting her while she was chemically subdued between 2011 and 2020. That earlier prosecution exposed how pornography, online forums, and misunderstandings or disregard for consent can fuel a culture of sexual violence.

Political and advocacy responses followed: Josso has become a prominent voice on the issue, joining an association founded by Pelicot’s daughter and co-authoring a parliamentary report calling for urgent action. The report criticized the lack of reliable statistics and gaps in access to timely blood and forensic testing, especially overnight and in remote areas.

Legal Framework And International Comparisons

Under French law, administering a substance to facilitate rape or sexual assault carries a maximum prison term of five years, while possession of illegal drugs can carry up to 10 years. In October 2025, France adopted a law redefining rape and sexual assault as any non-consensual sexual act; previously, rape required proof of penetration or oral sex combined with "violence, coercion, threat or surprise."

The debate over drug-facilitated sexual assault is not confined to France. High-profile cases abroad — such as the Bill Cosby prosecutions in the U.S., and recent long-term alleged abuse cases in Britain — have increased public awareness about the pattern of victims being offered pills or drinks that leave them disoriented and vulnerable.

What’s Next

The trial of Joël Guerriau is short but symbolic: it tests how investigators and courts handle cases where alleged victims are chemically impaired and where digital evidence and toxicology play central roles. A verdict is expected at a later date.

Quote: "I went to a friend’s house to celebrate his re-election. I came out terrified," Josso told lawmakers after the incident. "I discovered an assailant. I then realized that I had been drugged without knowing it. That’s what we call drug-facilitated assault."