A French civil servant accused of drugging more than 240 female job applicants has been named for the first time.
Christian Nègre allegedly gave women a drink laced with a diuretic during interviews while working as an HR manager at the French culture ministry, knowing it would make them need to urinate, according to The Guardian.
The interviews were often continued outside, on long walks far from toilets, with many of the women feeling ill and forced to urinate in public, sometimes wetting themselves.
A court hearing previously reported in French media heard he kept a log on his computer of what he called ‘P Experiments’.
The spreadsheet contained detailed records of how the women reacted, as well as photos he apparently took surreptitiously.
The case echoes that of Dominique Pélicot, the French electrician who drugged his wife so dozens of men could rape her while she was unconscious.
The allegations against Nègre, who is in his early 60s, span a nine-year period and have been dragging through French courts for nearly as long.
In 2019, Nègre was indicted for several charges including ‘aggravated administration of a harmful substance’ and ‘sexual assault by a person abusing his authority’.
In 2023 a judge ordered the state to pay seven alleged vicitms compensation ranging between €11,000 (£9,600) and €16,000 (£14,000) each.
Another investigating judge has continued to investigate the case, with the number of alleged victims identified more than tripling in two years.
Nègre full name cannot be reported in France due to legal conventions around ongoing cases but was revealed by The Guardian on Wednesday.
The allegations first came to light when a colleague saw Nègre trying to photograph the legs of a senior official.
The colleague reported him, sparking police to open an investigation which led to the discovery of the spreadsheet.
One alleged victim, Sylvie Delezenne, told the newspaper Nègre reached out to her on LinkedIn to invite her to the interview when she was 35.
She said the experience – which saw her forced to crouch by a tunnel while Nègre shielded her with his jacket – left her traumatised and put her off applying for jobs, adding: ‘I had nightmares, angry outbursts. I didn’t look for work; I thought I was useless.’
The diuretic said to have been used is extremely strong and can only be obtained illegally in France.
Nègre’s lawyer said her client would not comment on the case while the investigation continues.
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