French senator accused of drugging and sexually assaulting fellow lawmaker

PARIS: A French senator has been handed preliminary expenses for drugging one other lawmaker with the goal of rape or sexual assault, in accordance with the Paris prosecutor’s workplace, and has been suspended from his celebration. Joel Guerriau, a 66-year-old representing the Loire-Atlantique area in western France, was detained for 48 hours and given preliminary expenses Friday, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned in a press release.
He’s suspected of placing ecstasy in a glass of Champagne he served parliament member Sandrine Josso, who left after she began feeling sick, in accordance with French media studies. The incident occurred Tuesday night within the senator’s condo.
His lawyer mentioned Guerriau did not intend to drug Josso to abuse her and has apologized to her. In a press release, lawyer Remi-Pierre Drai mentioned ‘it was a dealing with error” that precipitated the lawmaker to fall sick. He didn’t elaborate.
‘Joel Guerriau isn’t a predator,” the lawyer mentioned. “He’s an trustworthy, revered and respectable man who will restore his honor and that of his household nonetheless lengthy it takes.”
Guerriau was given preliminary expenses of use and possession of medicine, and of secretly administering a discernment-altering substance to commit a rape or sexual assault. He was launched below judicial supervision and barred from contact with the sufferer and witnesses whereas the investigation continues.
Preliminary expenses below French legislation imply investigating magistrates have robust purpose to suspect wrongdoing however permit extra time earlier than figuring out whether or not to ship a case to trial.
After the costs had been introduced, the center-right Horizons political group on Saturday introduced his suspension, saying that it ‘won’t ever tolerate the slightest complacency towards sexual and sexist violence.” Horizons is allied in parliament with President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance celebration.
Josso, a member of the decrease home of parliament representing the Loire-Atlantique area with the centrist Modem celebration, has not spoken publicly concerning the investigation.