France probes senior cultural official over drugged interviews and public urination claims
Nearly 250 women accuse a former senior official in France's Ministry of Culture of drugging them during job interviews (2009–2018) to induce involuntary urination, a practice called chemical submission. The accused, Christian Nègre, was suspended in 2018 and sacked in 2019 and is now under formal investigation for drugging, invasion of privacy and sexual assault. The cases have dragged on, causing distress for victims and prompting calls for better support and swifter prosecutions. France has launched a pilot testing program for suspected drugging without filing police reports, but drug detection remains time-sensitive and the case has yet to go to trial.
