Former senator sentenced to prison after drugging a fellow deputy with the intention of assaulting her, in France
Senator Joel Guerriau leaves the Paris Criminal Court – Paris, France – January 27, 2026. Credit line: Paoloni Jeremy/ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Former senator Joël Guerriau was sentenced on Tuesday to 4 years in prison, of which 18 months will be suspended, for drugging MP Sandrine Josso. The sentence of the court in Paris marks a symbolic moment in the fight against “chemical subjugation”, a central theme in France after the Pelicot trial, pptrivit EuroNews.com.
Although the defense denied everything, the judges in Paris decided that the senator did have a sexual intention when he drugged his colleague. In addition to the years in prison, he was “banned” from politics for 5 years, is required to go to treatment and is no longer allowed to approach the victim.
“It's a huge relief,” Sandrine Josso reacted immediately after the verdict.
Joël Guerriau's lawyers announced that he will appeal against his conviction. The 68-year-old former senator claimed that it was a “careless gesture”.
Joel Guerriau resigned as senator in October 2025 because of this case. He was accused of administering to MP Sandrine Josso, aged 50, “a substance likely to alter her judgment or control over her actions, with the aim of committing rape or sexual assault”. The center-right politician also faced charges related to the possession and use of ecstasy.
Josso told investigators he felt ill after taking a few sips from a glass of champagne provided by Guerriau in his official suite where he had come to celebrate his election victory. The events took place on November 14, 2023. She told them that the champagne did not taste normal and that if she had not managed to leave the apartment, she was sure that Guerriau would have assaulted her, convinced that he wanted to “satisfy a desire”.
A toxicology test later revealed traces of ecstasy in her blood, and ecstasy was also found in Guerriau's apartment.
The senator's case echoed in France after the conviction in 2024 of Dominique Pelicot, who was found guilty of drugging and repeatedly raping his wife, Gisele, and inviting dozens of strangers to assault her while she was unconscious. In 2025, Parliament approved changes to French rape law to include consent, bringing the legislation in line with that of more than ten other European countries.
