{"id":31229,"date":"2026-08-26T06:03:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=31229"},"modified":"2026-08-26T06:03:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:03:30","slug":"french-civil-servant-drugged-us-to-make-us-urinate-on-ourselves-say-accusers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/french-civil-servant-drugged-us-to-make-us-urinate-on-ourselves-say-accusers\/","title":{"rendered":"French civil servant drugged us to make us urinate on ourselves, say accusers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">&#8220;I was really weak. I couldn&#8217;t really feel my legs any more,&#8221; says Ana\u00efs de Vos. &#8220;I was scared. I didn&#8217;t know what was happening.&#8221;<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It was July 2011 and Ana\u00efs, who was then 27, was being interviewed for a job at France&#8217;s Ministry of Culture in Paris.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She didn&#8217;t usually drink coffee but when the interviewer, a senior civil servant called Christian N\u00e8gre, offered her one, she agreed out of politeness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He made it himself, she tells BBC Global Women, but &#8220;it tasted bad\u2026 so I drank about half&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The meeting had started in the office, but after a few minutes N\u00e8gre suggested they go outside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">As they strolled through Paris&#8217;s streets, Ana\u00efs began to feel an inexplicable and uncontrollable need to urinate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She felt uncomfortable telling N\u00e8gre that she wanted return to the office to use the toilet, so told him she was cold as an excuse to go back to the building. But she says he walked away, guiding them towards the banks of the River Seine, so she told him she needed to find a toilet urgently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;He looked me right in the eye and said, &#8216;Oh, do you need a wee?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I felt like a child. I thought it was really weird the way he looked at me, almost gleeful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She says he directed her to the door of a storage cupboard under a bridge on the Seine and said: &#8220;You can do it here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Now, Ana\u00efs is one of nearly 250 women who believe N\u00e8gre drugged them in alleged incidents between 2009 and 2018, subjecting them to what is known as chemical submission, where drugs are used to gain control over someone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The concept of chemical submission came to prominence in France in 2024 when Gisele Pelicot&#8217;s husband was found guilty of sedating her and inviting strangers to rape her while she was unconscious.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I started to panic,&#8221; Ana\u00efs continues. &#8220;I had visions of him pushing me into the room and closing the door behind me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Feeling it was &#8220;too strange&#8221;, she insisted they move on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They walked to the Louvre to use the toilets there, but they cost one euro and she had left her purse at the ministry&#8217;s offices. N\u00e8gre told her he didn&#8217;t have any cash either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Desperate and in pain from trying not to urinate, Ana\u00efs found a cafe that let her use their toilet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">By then, &#8220;I felt really weak physically&#8221;, she says. As she approached the bathroom, she lost control and wet herself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"eventPromo\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-yapki9-EventInformationContainer e646wox6\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-6vksri-EventTitleContainer e646wox5\"><strong>Accused: France&#8217;s mass drugging case<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vf62z0-EventDetailsContainer e646wox4\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Women who accuse a civil servant of drugging them at job interviews share their stories<br \/>\n<a class=\"ssrcss-1lwi6f5-CallToActionLink esxl4sy1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/episodes\/m00310yx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"call-to-action-link-text-wrapper\">Watch on iPlayer<\/span><\/a> &#8211; <a class=\"ssrcss-914o8t-AdditionalLink e646wox0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FnZ_q01Jmmw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Viewers outside the UK can watch on YouTube<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Thinking back to 2011, Ana\u00efs gets some comfort from the fact that when she did urinate, it was out of N\u00e8gre&#8217;s sight. &#8220;At least he didn&#8217;t see me,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I was so grateful I was only wearing a dress,&#8221; she adds, explaining it made it easier to disguise what had happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">After three hours with N\u00e8gre, she says she &#8220;felt dizzy and drained&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She didn&#8217;t get the job and had suspicions about him, but could never work out exactly what it was that had made her feel so uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ana\u00efs felt the incident damaged her self-confidence and in the years that followed, she ended up on a less ambitious career path.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-testid=\"image\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-uapfk3-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1920\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/2617\/live\/3001a2c0-9bdc-11f1-bb4d-1147ef2e78e5.jpg 976w\" alt=\"A man in a dark suit jacket, pale shirt and blue tie with short grey hair. He is wearing glasses. There is a plain cream-coloured wall behind him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079.748427672956\" \/><\/picture><\/span>Nearly 250 women accuse N\u00e8gre of drugging them between 2009 and 2018 (Image: <span class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\" role=\"text\">Grand Est Region &amp; Bas-Rhin Prefect)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Then in 2019, she received a letter from the police. When she met them, she learned they suspected she was one of almost 200 women N\u00e8gre was accused of drugging during job interviews, purportedly for roles at the ministry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I was shocked,&#8221; she says. &#8220;But I was happy to know I wasn&#8217;t crazy. Something had happened that day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Dozens more alleged victims have since emerged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Police believed N\u00e8gre had used diuretics, which are used to manage a number of medical conditions, including high blood pressure, and cause the body to produce excess urine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ana\u00efs had had a fleeting thought the day she had met N\u00e8gre, that maybe he had slipped something into her drink, but put it aside telling herself: &#8220;It&#8217;s the Ministry of Culture. It&#8217;s not possible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-testid=\"image\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1920\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/e20a\/live\/891d17d0-97eb-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Two modern glass pyramids at the Louvre in Paris with an older building to the left. The sky is blue and there are a few people sitting in front of the pyramids. There is a ferris wheel in the distance on the right. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" \/><\/picture><\/span>Ana\u00efs and N\u00e8gre walked to the Louvre where she hoped she would be able to use public facilities (Image: <span class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\" role=\"text\">Mohammed Badra\/EPA\/Shutterstock)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"subheadline\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 tabindex=\"-1\"><\/h2>\n<h2 id=\"Experiments-P\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span role=\"text\">&#8216;Experiments P&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ana\u00efs says police told her they found a spreadsheet of the alleged victims on N\u00e8gre&#8217;s computer, entitled Experiments P, which was how they found her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The document, she says, noted the time the women arrived for their interviews, when the diuretic was administered, how long it took before they urinated, and what underwear they were wearing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Looking back, Ana\u00efs is now convinced the strange taste in the coffee N\u00e8gre made her was the diuretic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The investigation into N\u00e8gre began in June 2018, when he was caught by a colleague taking a photograph of a woman from beneath a table, the prosecutor&#8217;s office said in a statement released in February this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He was initially suspended from his job as regional director of cultural affairs before being sacked by the Ministry of Culture in 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Prosecutors said that in 2018 he told investigators he had &#8220;imposed humiliating situations on women&#8221; during job interviews.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Many of<b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">\u00a0<\/b>the women<b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">\u00a0<\/b>say the first time they realised they may have been victims was when police contacted them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Some came forward when they saw Ana\u00efs and other accusers in media reports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">N\u00e8gre, who is in his 60s, is now under formal investigation on charges that include drugging, invasion of privacy and sexual assault. He is awaiting trial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The BBC put the allegations contained in this article to N\u00e8gre through his lawyer, but he declined to comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Another person named in N\u00e8gre&#8217;s notes was Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Brice. He interviewed her for a job at the Ministry of Culture in 2016 in Strasbourg, where he was then working.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She says he told her she looked stressed and suggested they take a walk outside to &#8220;calm her nerves&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But as they strolled along the canal, Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne, like Ana\u00efs, felt an uncontrollable need to urinate, which began to cause her pain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She says N\u00e8gre told her that he knew of a public toilet nearby, but when they arrived at the location there was no toilet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I was really starting to suffer\u2026 pains to the point that I was white, pale, I had tears streaming down,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne says she had no choice but to urinate in public. She says N\u00e8gre offered to shield her with his jacket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I was terribly embarrassed,&#8221; she says. &#8220;He didn&#8217;t take his eyes off me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne says that for years she felt ashamed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Like Ana\u00efs, she was also contacted by police who told her she was among N\u00e8gre&#8217;s alleged victims. &#8220;It was a very big shock,&#8221; she adds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"subheadline\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"Chemical-submission\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span role=\"text\">Chemical submission<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne says that as well as psychological distress, she has also been left with urinary problems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She explains that while the events might not fit the pattern of what people usually think of in cases of sexual assault, she has no doubts about what happened to her: &#8220;I have been attacked, I have been intoxicated, I have been poisoned, but for me it is a sexual assault, clearly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The issue of chemical submission has been picked up by French MP Sandrine Josso. She became a leading campaigner after French senator Joel Guerriau was found guilty this year of spiking her drink with ecstasy in order to sexually assault her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Josso argues that for too long France has not done enough to support women who have been drugged and prosecute offenders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-testid=\"image\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1920\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/8349\/live\/0de45c80-8cf2-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Sandrine Josso stares at the camera. She has mid-length dark hair and is wearing a black top. She's standing in front of a wall with gold leaf on it. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" \/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<p>French MP Sandrine Josso has become a leading campaigner on the issue of chemical submission<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She was behind the introduction this year of a pilot programme where women who suspect they have been drugged can take samples of blood, urine or hair to a lab for testing, without having to file a formal complaint with police.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;People are mobilising, victims are reporting more, filing more complaints, and that&#8217;s important,&#8221; Josso tells BBC Global Women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But there are limitations. Ana\u00efs, Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne and many other alleged victims of N\u00e8gre did not suspect they had been drugged &#8211; and unless testing takes place very soon after drugging, substances won&#8217;t show up in blood and urine samples.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Drugs may be detectable for longer in hair, but as time passes it becomes harder to pinpoint when they were administered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The use of diuretics in this way is &#8220;very unusual&#8221; according to Prof Jean-Claude Alvarez, who runs the pilot at the Raymond-Poincar\u00e9 AP-HP Hospital. He says he has never seen anything like it in 26 years as a toxicologist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-testid=\"image\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-vdtx73-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/3840\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/2b5f\/live\/4da77f20-8b60-11f1-b4bb-f7524edbe34a.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Prof Jean-Claude Alvarez is pictured in his toxicology lab wearing a white lab coat. He has short grey hair. He's holding tweezers that are gripping strands of hair \" width=\"3840\" height=\"2159.9386659851775\" \/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Prof Jean-Claude Alvarez tests samples, including hair, for drugs in the toxicology lab<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\" data-block=\"text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The lab routinely tests for 400 substances and &#8220;now, in France, we are looking for diuretics&#8221;, he adds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It is now 15 years since Ana\u00efs&#8217;s encounter with N\u00e8gre and seven years since she first spoke to police.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Like many of the other accusers, she is frustrated at the length of time it is taking for N\u00e8gre&#8217;s case to come to court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Meanwhile, the alleged perpetrator has continued to work in human resources, according to Fondation des Femmes, a women&#8217;s rights group that is supporting about 30 of the women affected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Everything is unsettling and I am angry at how we are treated,&#8221; says Ana\u00efs, who is now 42 years old.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She says she first spoke to police in 2019, but then heard nothing about the case until 2023, despite emailing them many times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;For four years, I was alone with the knowledge that I was a victim. I didn&#8217;t know what to do,&#8221; she says. &#8220;I am very angry with the justice system.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne describes this waiting as &#8220;secondary victimisation&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;As a victim, I have to prove the impact, go to a psychiatrist, write specific notes,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The delays to the case have made what happened harder to bear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We do not necessarily feel [we are] completely taken seriously,&#8221; Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Kalliopi Mingeirou from UN Women told the BBC that governments, police and justice systems needed to do more to tackle drug-facilitated sexual assault, and that authorities were facing &#8220;very serious challenges&#8221; and delays in cases of alleged abuse are &#8220;destroying women&#8217;s lives&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The BBC asked the French police, judiciary and government to respond to the criticisms of their handling of the case, but they did not respond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For a long time, Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne was silent until she stopped feeling shame.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I don&#8217;t have to hide myself &#8211; I am a victim,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;It is important for me to speak publicly because it allowed some victims to recognise themselves, to discover they were a victim and to file a complaint in turn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Speaking out is necessary in the world in which we live, it is important to talk about sexist and sexual violence.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/crrv48lenwgo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">&#8220;I was really weak. I couldn&#8217;t really feel my legs any more,&#8221; says Ana\u00efs de Vos. &#8220;I was scared. I didn&#8217;t know what was happening.&#8221; It was July 2011 and Ana\u00efs, who was then 27, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/french-civil-servant-drugged-us-to-make-us-urinate-on-ourselves-say-accusers\/\" title=\"French civil servant drugged us to make us urinate on ourselves, say accusers\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[12888,12887,12889,12582,248,2913,12886,4945,2740,1584,5106,5794,3168],"class_list":["post-31229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-world","tag-chemical-submission","tag-christian-negre","tag-drugged","tag-drugging","tag-ecstasy","tag-france","tag-french-ministry-of-culture","tag-invasion-of-privacy","tag-paris","tag-sexual-assault","tag-sexual-violence","tag-strasbourg","tag-urination","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31229"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31231,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31229\/revisions\/31231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}