A Paris criminal court on Tuesday found a former senator guilty of having spiked a lawmaker’s drink with ecstasy with the aim of sexually assaulting her. The judgement also concluded the defendant had possessed and used the drug.
The man, aged 68, resigned from the senate in October 2025 as the allegations unfolded. In handing down its decision, the court dismissed the defence contention that the substance might have been administered inadvertently and without any intent to impair the victim’s decision-making or control over her actions.
The ruling highlighted several elements the judges said supported an inference of intent to commit a rape or sexual aggression: the defendant’s insistence that the lawmaker consume the drink that contained ecstasy, what the court described as his inappropriate and unusual conduct, and searches found on his internet browser concerning drugs and their effects in contexts related to sexual assault.
The lawmaker, named in the case, told investigators she became unwell after sipping champagne offered by the former senator at his apartment during a celebration of an electoral victory. She reported that the champagne tasted off and said she believed that had she not managed to leave the flat she would have been assaulted.
Because of what the court described as the particular gravity of the offences and the high dose of ecstasy administered without the victim’s knowledge, the judges sentenced the defendant to four years behind bars, with two-and-a-half years suspended. The court ordered deferred detention, meaning he will remain out of custody while his appeal is pending.
One of the defendant’s lawyers said his client intended to lodge an appeal. "The debate will resume in front of the appeals court, notably on the intention of assaulting, which my client completely contests," the lawyer said.
The case has attracted public attention in France, coming after a high-profile 2024 conviction in which a man was found guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife and of inviting others to assault her while she was unconscious. That earlier trial had heightened awareness of drug-facilitated sexual assaults and received widespread coverage.
Context and court findings
- The court concluded there was sufficient evidence to establish the deliberate administration of a substance intended to impair the victim.
- Judges cited behavioural evidence, pressure to consume the drink, and internet searches as corroborating factors for intent.
- The sentence includes deferred detention while the defendant appeals, so he will not be imprisoned immediately.