Nègre case: courts examine the State's liability towards over 200 victims
A hearing at the Paris administrative court is being held on Thursday 4 June to judge the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture as employer of Christian Nègre.
Chemical submission at work: State judged for allowing Christian Nègre to act for ten years
A hearing is being held on Thursday 4 June at 9.30 a.m. at the Paris administrative court in the case of former senior civil servant Christian Nègre, according to franceinfo - Justice. This administrative aspect of the case aims to establish the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture as employer for allowing Nègre to operate for nearly ten years without intervention.
The Women's Foundation, which is supporting around fifty victims in this proceeding, clarified the nature of the hearing in a note sent to the press on Wednesday 3 June. Ten victims are concerned by this specific hearing.
More than 248 victims recorded
Christian Nègre, former head of human resources at the Ministry of Culture — who also worked at the Cultural Affairs Department of the Grand Est region —, is accused of chemical submission by more than 200 women. He allegedly administered diuretics to them to force them to urinate during interviews presented as professional.
Under investigation by two investigating judges, he is notably targeted for "administration of harmful substance", "violence by a person entrusted with a public service mission" and "violation of privacy". Six years after the opening of an exceptional judicial investigation, at least 248 victims have been recorded, of whom "at least 180" have joined as civil parties, according to prosecution data dating from February 2026.
State liability still refused by administrative courts
In January 2023, the Paris administrative court had ordered the State to compensate eight victims for personal fault of Christian Nègre. However, the judges had then refused to recognise the Ministry of Culture's own responsibility as an employing institution for failing to protect the victims or end Nègre's actions before the press revealed the case.
The Women's Foundation regrets that this position has not evolved since. "Despite an appeal against the judgment and a cassation appeal before the State Council in 2025, the administrative courts have consistently refused to examine the administration's own responsibility," the organisation states in its note. Thursday's hearing constitutes a fresh attempt to establish this institutional failure, this time for ten other victims.
Source: franceinfo - Justice