Latest news with #JoelGuerriau
Local France
2 days ago
- Politics
- Local France
French senator accused of spiking colleague's drink sent for trial
Two investigating magistrates sent Senator Joel 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 programme. 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. "Joel 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 rumours 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". France's Horizons party, led by former prime minister Edouard Philippe, suspended Guerriau in November 2023 after he was formally charged with drugging Josso as part of a plot to carry out a sexual assault. 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". Advertisement The allegations against the senator come months after Frenchman Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years for repeatedly drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The shocking case, involving scores of men, received international coverage after his former wife, Gisele Pelicot, waived her right to anonymity and insisted on a public trial. Earlier this month, the French Senate passed a bill to include lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape, paving the way for its official adoption as law. Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Malay Mail
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Second woman accuses French senator of drugging and assault, says she ‘buried it deep inside'
PARIS, June 20 — A French senator accused of drugging an MP with the intent to assault her is facing an accusation from another woman, according to French television. The woman, who has not been named, accused Joel Guerriau of abusing her at his home in Paris in May 2022. The 67-year-old already faces charges over drugging centrist deputy Sandrine Josso's drink in November 2023, an accusation he has denied. 'I decided to bury it deep inside me,' said the woman, speaking with her face covered and voice altered on France 2 late yesterday. The woman said she felt 'dizzy' before coming to her senses in the senator's bedroom, who she knew from political circles and with whom she had a legal dispute. France 2 said the woman has contacted police but has not yet filed a complaint. A lawyer for Guerriau told France 2 that the centre-right senator 'strongly denies these new rumours', calling them 'absurdities with the sole purpose of bringing Joel Guerriau to the public gallows.' France's Horizons party, led by former prime minister Edouard Philippe, suspended Guerriau in November 2023 after he was formally charged with drugging Josso as part of a plot to carry out a sexual assault. Josso — who is nearly two decades his junior — said she felt ill after accepting a drink at the Paris home of the senator, with whom she was not in a relationship. Tests revealed that Josso had ecstasy in her system, prompting her to file the criminal complaint. 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'. He has so far ruled out resigning, calling it 'totally unfair' to step down before the court's ruling. The latest allegation against Guerriau comes months after the world was shocked by Frenchman Dominique Pelicot, who was jailed for 20 years for repeatedly drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The shocking case, involving scores of men, brought widespread attention to the issue of consent. The French Senate passed a bill on Wednesday to include lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape, paving the way for its official adoption in the coming months. Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. — AFP * If you are experiencing sexual violence, the following hotlines offer free and confidential support: Talian Kasih at 15999 or WhatsApp 019-2615999 (24/7); All Women's Action Society at 016-2374221/016-2284221 (9.30am-5.30pm); and Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) at 03-30008858 or SMS/WhatsApp TINA 018-9888058 (24/7)
