French job-applicants accuse official of spiking with diuretics

In a shocking scandal unfolding in France, more than 240 women claim that Christian Nègre — a former senior civil servant at the culture ministry — drugged them during job interviews. Between 2011 and 2019, the women say Nègre offered coffee or tea laced with a powerful illegal diuretic and then steered the interviews on long walks far from restrooms, causing uncontrollable, urgent urges to urinate. Some were unable to reach a toilet in time and wet themselves in public, enduring humiliation — and the psychological scars remain years later. 

The case only came to light in 2018, after a colleague alerted police that Nègre had attempted to photograph a senior official’s legs during a meeting. Investigators discovered a spreadsheet on his computer titled “Experiments,” documenting times of druggings and victims’ reactions. 

Despite being removed from his civil service role in 2019 and placed under formal investigation — facing charges including drugging and sexual assault — Nègre continues to work privately, and a criminal trial has yet to take place. This prolonged delay has deepened the victims’ trauma. Advocacy groups and survivors are calling for swift justice and reforms to prevent “chemical submission” — the use of drugs in assaults. 

Many of the affected women described long-term consequences: PTSD, anxiety, and a damaged sense of self-worth that drastically altered their professional lives. For some, failing to secure employment, avoiding job-hunting or even leaving France entirely became the aftermath of that day’s interview. 

Key Takeaways

Over 240 women allege that a high-ranking culture-ministry official drugged them with diuretics during job interviews, leading to uncontrollable urges to urinate and public humiliation. 

Evidence uncovered — including a spreadsheet tracking “experiments” and victims’ reactions — has triggered formal investigations, but criminal proceedings have been delayed for years. 

Survivors continue to suffer psychological trauma, stigmatization, and professional setbacks; advocates demand reforms to prevent drug-facilitated abuse and hold institutions accountable. 

Adapted From 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/26/women-allege-drugging-by-senior-french-civil-servant