Nearly 250 women humiliated by Christian Nègre, a former senior official, called to “report as quickly as possible”

The request was expressed this Thursday. Nearly 250 victims, years of waiting: women humiliated by Christian Nègre, former senior cultural official who allegedly administered diuretics to force them to urinate, under the guise of professional interviews, are called upon to come forward “as soon as possible” to the investigators. This former HR director of the Ministry of Culture, who also worked at the Directorate of Cultural Affairs of the Grand Est region, was indicted by two investigating judges, notably for “administration of harmful substance”, “violence by person charged with a public service mission” or “violation of privacy”.

Six years after the start of this extraordinary investigation, 248 victims were identified, including “at least 180” have become civil parties, according to the prosecution. And the countdown does not seem to be stopping: other women still continue to come forward regularly, underlines a source close to the matter to AFP.

Skip the ad

Thursday, in an unusual statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau called “any victim not yet heard from must report as quickly as possible to the OCRVP (the Central Office for the Repression of Violence against Persons, jointly referred with the judicial police services) and if they wish, to become a civil party”. Justice hopes to carry out these hearings quickly, before the end of March, “in order to then be able to carry out any possible additional assessments and interrogations. The investigations are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.she continues. Enough to offer for the first time a horizon to the victims, with a view to a possible trial.

Exasperation

This appeal partly responds to the complaints of several victims, who expressed their exasperation at the end of 2025 at the duration of the investigation. An information meeting was organized by the investigating judges for their lawyers at the end of January, and another is planned for the spring for victims who have become civil parties.

But the very short deadline that was announced to victims to come forward makes Me Louise Beriot, one of the lawyers and spokesperson for the Women’s Foundation, jump. “This investigative work should have been carried out six years ago, we are appalled! Setting a deadline for victims to arrive in the procedure is extremely shocking”explains the one who also defends several victims. “Our main request is proper expert assessments. Victims have the same rights as all civil parties in any investigation.she insists.

In her press release, the prosecutor mentions a system for assessing the needs of victims, entrusted to associations. This should not replace real legal expertise, allowing women to be recognized as victims and then compensated, underlines the lawyer. This sudden haste, for women “who are not heard by the judge and do not have access to expertise” judicial, “It’s secondary victimization, pure and simple!”she storms.

“Completely crazy business”

Christian Nègre was unmasked in 2018. While stationed in the Grand Est region, he was caught taking a photo of his interlocutor, who had filed a complaint, under the table. On his computer, investigators found “a table listing 181 interviews with women, during which it appeared that he made them drink diuretics in coffee or tea and waited for them to be forced to urinate in his presence”recalled the Paris prosecutor, seized of the case from the end of 2018. At the time, the Minister of Culture Franck Riester spoke of a “Completely crazy affair, from a pervert”.

Skip the ad

While awaiting a trial, some victims were able to obtain compensation, in particular by incurring State liability. Some, who had gone to the ministry thinking of having a recruitment interview with Christian Nègre, also hoped to benefit, in the current investigation, from the functional protection of rue de Valois. At the beginning of January, they were rejected on the grounds that they did not have the quality «d’agent public»according to a document consulted by AFP.