Former senator Joel Guerriau was convicted of drugging MP Sandrine Josso with MDMA and sentenced to four years in prison, with 18 months to be served behind bars. Josso reported acute symptoms after drinking champagne at Guerriau's Paris apartment in November 2023; toxicology confirmed high MDMA levels and ecstasy was found at his flat. Prosecutors sought additional penalties including a ban from public office and placement on the sex offenders register; Guerriau denies sexual intent and will appeal. The case follows other high-profile drugging convictions in France and comes as French law increasingly emphasizes consent in sexual-offence cases.
Ex-Senator Joel Guerriau Guilty of Spiking MP’s Drink with MDMA — Sentenced to Four Years
The accused ex-senator Joel Guerriau arrives in court for his trial (STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN)(STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/AFP)
A French court on Tuesday found former senator Joel Guerriau guilty of slipping MDMA (ecstasy) into the champagne of National Assembly member Sandrine Josso with the intent to sexually assault her. The court sentenced Guerriau, 68, to four years in prison, of which 18 months must be served behind bars.
What Happened
The incident occurred in November 2023 at Guerriau's apartment in Paris's upscale 6th district. Josso, 50, went to celebrate Guerriau's re-election as a friend; she later told the court she felt suddenly unwell after drinking champagne he had poured for her. A toxicology test detected a high level of MDMA in her blood, and ecstasy was found at Guerriau's flat.
Victim's Account and Impact
"I went with a light heart to celebrate his re-election. As the evening went on, I discovered an attacker," Josso told the Paris court, describing racing heart, nausea and the need to seek hospital care.
Her lawyer, Arnaud Godefroy, said Josso has suffered lasting consequences: six months off work, ongoing physical and psychological treatment, nightmares, flashbacks, dissociation and dental damage requiring the removal of four teeth attributed to stress-related grinding.
Prosecution and Defence
Prosecutor Benjamin Coulon argued that Guerriau "deliberately placed" MDMA in Josso's drink and requested additional penalties including a five-year ban from public office and placement on the sex offenders register. Coulon noted that Guerriau had supported the law that criminalises administering a harmful substance to facilitate rape or sexual assault and said an elected official should "set an example." He argued the drugging was intended to enable a sexual assault even though no overt sexual advances were made in the MP's flat.
Guerriau denied any sexual motive and described the incident as an accident. He told the court he had earlier poured powdered MDMA into a glass to calm a panic attack, decided not to take it, and returned the glass to a cupboard. "In short, I am an idiot," he said. The defence has announced an appeal.
Context and Aftermath
The high-profile trial followed a separate, widely publicised conviction in France of Dominique Pelicot, who was jailed for repeatedly drugging his then-wife to enable sexual assaults. Last year France revised its rape statute to explicitly incorporate the principle of consent into its legal definition, aligning with several other European countries.
Guerriau served as a senator from 2011 until his resignation in October 2025 and was expelled from the centre-right Horizons party after the allegations surfaced. The court's sentence and the prosecutor's requests reflect both the seriousness of the offence and its political sensitivities; Guerriau's legal team says it will challenge the conviction on appeal.
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