Sandrine Josso: The MP at the Centre of a Landmark Trial

Paris, 27 January 2026 – Sandrine Josso, the centrist MoDem MP for Loire-Atlantique’s 7th constituency, has become a national figure not for a legislative agenda, but as the central figure in a trial that has gripped France. The trial of former senator Joël Guerriau, accused of drugging her with ecstasy in an alleged attempt to sexually assault her, began on Monday 26 January.

The Allegations and the Trial

Joël Guerriau, 68, a former senator from the centre-right Horizons party, stands accused of administering a substance to impair the judgement of Sandrine Josso, a fellow parliamentarian, with the alleged intent to commit rape or sexual assault. The charges, detailed in court documents, state he provided her with “a substance capable of impairing her judgement or control over her actions, to facilitate rape or sexual aggression.”

Mr. Guerriau, who resigned from the Senate in October 2025 following the allegations, has denied all accusations. The trial, which is scheduled to continue until Tuesday, has drawn intense scrutiny, coming in the wake of the 2024 conviction of Dominique Pel for similar offences, which brought international attention to the issue of drug-facilitated sexual assault.

From Alleged Victim to Advocate

For Sandrine Josso, the case has been a catalyst for a profound personal and political transformation. In the aftermath of the alleged incident in November 2023, she has become a leading parliamentary voice against what is termed “chemical submission” or drug-facilitated sexual assault. In May 2025, she co-authored a landmark government report on the subject with Senator Véronique Guillotin, pressing for a national annual awareness campaign and better victim support protocols.

Her advocacy was born from personal experience. In a powerful return to the National Assembly in January 2024, she received a rare standing ovation from colleagues across the political spectrum after detailing the alleged assault. “On 14 November last year, I went to a friend’s house to celebrate his re-election. I came out terrified,” she told the chamber. “I discovered an assailant. I then realised I had been drugged without my knowledge. That is what we call a drug-facilitated assault.”

Key Facts: Sandrine Josso

A Political Career Forged from Personal Tragedy

Sandrine Josso’s entry into politics was not born of traditional ambition, but of a deeply personal vow. In 2012, her four-year-old daughter Louise was diagnosed with leukaemia. Mobilising within associations for parents and patients, she observed that the issue of environmental health was being ignored by the political class. Received with other parents of sick children at the Élysée Palace in 2013, she made a promise to her daughter: “I will one day go to the National Assembly to carry your voice and those of other families.”

She kept that promise. Elected as a municipal councillor in Herbignac in 2014 under the centrist Alliance, she joined Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! (LREM) in 2017 and won her parliamentary seat that year, defeating Franck Louvrier, the former communications director for Nicolas Sarkozy. She left LREM and its parliamentary group in 2019, citing a loss of the “initial meaning” of her commitment, and has since sat with the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem).

Policy Focus: Health, Environment, and Women’s Rights

Her legislative work has been defined by the intersection of her personal experiences and her professional background as a dietitian. She has been a prominent voice on environmental health, chairing a study group on the impact of climate change and presenting a report on environmental health to the minister for ecological transition in 2021.

Her daughter’s illness led her to focus on paediatric cancers, becoming a whistle-blower on a cluster discovered in her constituency. She has also worked on improving psychological support for women after miscarriages, and on defining “coercive control” in domestic violence cases.

However, it is her recent advocacy against drug-facilitated sexual assault that has thrust her into the national spotlight. Following the alleged assault, she told Le Monde: “I became aware of the hell of sexual violence against women. Many of them, including MPs, confided that they could not have spoken about it. I find that terrible. For me, it was natural to do so; I am wired to speak out.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sandrine Josso accused of?

Sandrine Josso is not accused of any wrongdoing. She is the alleged victim in the trial of Joël Guerriau, who is accused of attempting to drug her with ecstasy to sexually assault her.

What is the current status of the trial?

The trial of Joël Guerriau began on Monday 26 January 2026 at the Paris Correctional Court. He faces charges of administering a substance without consent with intent to commit a sexual offence. The trial is ongoing.

What has been the political impact of the case?

The case has generated significant political and public attention in France, particularly following the 2024 conviction of Dominique Pel for similar offences. It has reignited debate about drug-facilitated sexual assault and led to legislative changes, including amendments to France’s rape laws in 2025 to incorporate the concept of consent, aligning them with over a dozen other European countries.