French senator accused of spiking fellow MP's drink sent for trial
A French senator accused of having drugged a fellow member of Parliament with the intention of sexually assaulting her has been sent for trial, Agence France-Presse (AFP) learnt on Friday, June 27, from a source close to the case Two investigating magistrates sent Senator Joël Guerriau for trial for the alleged November 2023 incident, said the source, confirming a report by France 2's Complement d'enquete, an investigative television program.
The judges' report, seen by AFP, says Guerriau, 67, is suspected of having spiked a glass of champagne with ecstasy that his colleague Sandrine Josso, now 49, was drinking. His intention, they alleged, was to rape or sexually assault her. Guerriau will also be tried for possession of drugs.
"Joël Guerriau contests the allegations against him," said his lawyers, Henri Carpentier and Marie Roumiantseva. The truth will come in court, "far from the caricatures and rumors put about until now," they added. "Mr Guerriau does not fear the truth: He desires it."
Josso's lawyer, Arnaud Godefroy, said she was relieved at the decision, "which reflects the seriousness of her complaint."
On November 14, 2023, Josso, who's with the centrist MoDem party, went to the Paris home of her "political friend" – as she described him during the investigation before the judges – who was celebrating his re-election.
The only guest, she left with 388 ng/ml of ecstasy in her blood, according to toxicology tests seen by AFP. This was a dose "close to double" the recreational amount, the prosecutor's office said. The tests also showed no traces of drugs in her system during the seven months prior to that evening.
The judges write that although "no intimate or sexual acts were reported" during the evening, Guerriau's actions, as described by the complainant, were "consistent with those of a person with sexual intent."
The Horizons party, led by former prime minister Edouard Philippe, suspended Guerriau in November 2023. Guerriau has denied any intention to sexually assault the lawmaker and has rejected the accusation that he deliberately drugged her, describing it as a "handling error."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
31 minutes ago
- France 24
Pogba signs for Monaco, hoping to revive career
The 2018 World Cup winner has made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, an 18-month doping ban and an extortion case in which he was the victim. Pogba failed a drugs test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and has been free to return to football since March, although his contract at the Italian giants had been terminated last year. The midfielder will now play club football in Ligue 1 for the first time in his professional career. "I am determined to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it's just a matter of time," the 32-year-old told French television last weekend. Pogba played in the Le Havre youth team before signing for Manchester United in 2009. He made only a handful of first-team appearances for the three-time European champions before signing for Juventus in 2012. Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles in Turin before rejoining United for a then-world record 105 million euros ($123 million). He moved back to Juventus three years ago but struggled with a series of injuries. In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort 13 million euros from Pogba in 2022. Pogba has scored 11 goals in 91 appearances for the France national team, playing a starring role and scoring in their World Cup final victory over Croatia seven years ago.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Huge crowds build as Serbian protesters demand early elections
As the hours-long rally began, massive crowds were building, with more streaming into a major square of the capital, according to AFP journalists. Carrying Serbian flags and banners, many emblazoned with the names of cities and towns throughout the Balkan nation, the protest began with a rendition of the national anthem. "We are not the problem, we are the consequence," one banner read. Anti-graft protests have rocked the country since November, when the roof of a train station collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people -- a tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption. For more than half a year, students have blockaded universities and organised large demonstrations around the country, demanding a transparent investigation into the deaths. With little action from authorities, their focus shifted last month to calling for early parliamentary elections. The student organisers have set an "ultimatum" for President Aleksandar Vucic to call for early elections by 9 pm (1900 GMT) Saturday. Vucic had already rejected on Friday the students' demand, having previously stated that a national election would not be held before the end of 2026. "The ultimatum was not accepted, you don't have to wait until 9 pm tomorrow," Vucic said, according to RTS state television. -'Foreign powers'- Nearby, thousands of Vucic supporters were also rallying in a counter-demonstration outside the parliament building. Joining the pro-government encampments that have blocked a main intersection in the city for months, the crowd was marked with bikers and war veterans. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already toppled the country's prime minister, but the governing party remains in power -- with a reshuffled government and the president at its heart. Vucic has repeatedly accused the protests, which have remained peaceful throughout, of being part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. "The foreign powers sent an ultimatum through local henchmen," Vucic said after attending a mass in the central Serbian city of Krusevac on Friday. Fuelling fears of confrontations between the two large groups, Vucic warned Saturday that "there will be violence" toward the end of the student protest. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become a routine government reaction ahead of large demonstrations. On Friday, five people were remanded in custody for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, according to a statement from Serbia's Higher Court in Belgrade. -'Radicalisation'- Students have also called for the removal of the pro-government encampments, while warning of "radicalisation" of the movement if their demands were not met. Police urged protesters to remain peaceful. "Any attempt to attack the police, to storm any state institution, media outlet, or private property will not be tolerated by the Serbian police," police director Dragan Vasiljevic said in a statement. Initial plans by Vucic's party to host a counter-rally were scrapped, though party officials said they might visit their supporters' camps. Saturday's rally is expected to be the largest since March, when 300,000 people gathered in Belgrade, according to an independent counting organisation. Earlier this month, local polls in two municipalities marked the first electoral clash between an opposition coalition and Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party. The governing party secured a narrow victory amid accusations of voter bribery and electoral interference -- similar to those following its win in the December 2023 parliamentary elections. As before, Vucic denied allegations of fraud.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza including at least three children
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 23 people in the war-stricken territory on Saturday, including at least three children who died when a house was struck. "At least 23 dead and dozens of wounded were taken (to hospitals) after Israeli firing and raids" across Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Among the casualties were three children who were killed in an air strike on a home in Jabalia, northern Gaza. AFP video footage from Gaza City showed relatives weeping over the bodies of children killed in nearby Jabalia. Bassal said the children were among 21 people killed in six air strikes by drones and planes across the territory. He said two other people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food aid in the Netzarim zone in central Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and witnesses. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in October 2023 in response to a deadly attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas. After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on June 24, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
