Former French Senator Joel Guerriau arrives with his lawyer Henri Carpentier for a hearing in his trial for allegedly spiking member of parliament Sandrine Josso's drink with the intention of sexually assaulting her, at the courthouse in Paris, France, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
PARIS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A former French senator went on trial on Monday accused of spiking a lawmaker's drink with ecstasywith the intention of sexually assaulting her.
Joel Guerriau, 68, who resigned as a senator over the case in October 2025, allegedly administered lawmaker Sandrine Josso with "a substance liable to alter her discernment or control over her actions, in order to commit rape or sexual aggression", a court document showed.
The centre-right politician also faces charges related to the possession and use of ecstasy, the document read. Guerriau has denied the charges against him.
The case has resonated in France following the 2024 conviction of Dominique Pelicot, who was found guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, Gisele, and inviting dozens of strangers to assault her while she was unconscious.
The Pelicot trial attracted headlines worldwide and raised awareness about drug-facilitated assaults.
Josso told investigators she felt unwell after drinking a few sips from a glass of champagne offered to her by Guerriau at his apartment to celebrate an electoral win.
She told them the champagne did not taste normal and that if she had not managed to leave the flat she was certain Guerriau would have assaulted her, convinced he wanted to "satisfy an urge", according to the court document.
A toxicology test later revealed traces of ecstasy inher blood, and ecstasy was also found in Guerriau's apartment, the document stated.
If found guilty, he could face a jail sentence of up to five years and a fine of 75,000 euros ($88,950).His lawyer was not immediately available for comment.
The former senator's Horizons party, which is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's governing alliance, told French media following the accusations in November 2023 that Guerriau had been suspended with immediate effect.
The trial runs until Tuesday.
Parliament last year approved changes to France's rape law to include consent, bringing the legislation more into line with more than a dozen other European countries in a move that was given new impetus by the Pelicot mass rape trial.
($1 = 0.8432 euros)
(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Richard Lough and Alison Williams)
