Exclusive: The Culture Ministry Drugging Scandal That Shocked France
In a case that has sent shockwaves through France's civil service, more than 240 women have come forward with allegations of being drugged without their knowledge during job interviews with a senior culture ministry official.
The investigation centres on Christian Nègre, a former human resources manager at the French culture ministry, who stands accused of administering powerful diuretics to female job candidates over a nine-year period.
The Victims' Harrowing Stories
Sylvie Delezenne, a 45-year-old marketing expert from Lille, was among the first to break her silence. "I didn't even know this type of attack existed," she revealed, describing her 2015 interview that turned into a nightmare.
Delezenne had been delighted when Nègre contacted her on LinkedIn, offering what she thought was her dream job opportunity at the prestigious culture ministry near Paris's Louvre museum. Instead, she became one of hundreds of alleged victims in a case that echoes the recent Pelicot trial involving drug-facilitated abuse.
According to court documents, Nègre allegedly mixed hot drinks with an illegal diuretic substance, knowing it would cause urgent and uncontrollable needs to urinate. He would then suggest continuing interviews during lengthy outdoor walks far from toilet facilities.
"My hands were trembling, my heart was palpitating, beads of sweat ran down my forehead," Delezenne recalled of her experience during the Tuileries gardens walk. "I wasn't well; I thought what can I do?"
A Pattern of Predatory Behaviour
The scale of the alleged offences came to light in 2018 after a colleague reported Nègre for allegedly attempting to photograph a senior official's legs. Police investigations uncovered a computer spreadsheet titled "Experiments" containing detailed notes about drugging times and women's reactions.
Anaïs de Vos, another victim who was 28 when she applied for a managerial assistant position in 2011, described similar tactics. "He looked me in the eye and said: 'Do you need a wee?'" she recalled, noting how Nègre then gestured toward a storage unit under a bridge as a potential toilet spot.
Louise Beriot, a lawyer representing several of the women, characterised the alleged behaviour as "power and domination over women's bodies through humiliation and control."
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied
Despite Nègre being placed under formal investigation in 2019 on charges ranging from drugging to sexual assault, victims express frustration at the slow pace of justice. The former civil servant has been removed from the ministry but continues working in the private sector while awaiting trial.
"Six years later, we're still waiting for a trial, which is mind-blowing," said one woman using the pseudonym Émilie. "The justice process is bringing more trauma than healing."
Delezenne, now working in marketing for a hairdresser in Lille, described being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after discovering her details and photographs of her legs in Nègre's spreadsheet. "The time this is taking to come to trial is weighing on me," she said. "The anger is not going away."
The CGT culture trade union has called for the ministry to recognise its responsibility as an employer, noting that "there is a systemic problem, which enabled a senior civil servant to act like this for a decade."
As France continues to grapple with the phenomenon of "chemical submission," Delezenne's priority remains clear: "ensuring that this never happens to anyone else again." The case continues to unfold as more women come forward with similar experiences spanning nearly a decade of alleged predatory behaviour within one of France's most respected institutions.
