Laurent Bigorgne, a close friend of French President Macron, and former director of the Montaigne Institute, who resigned on 27 February, has been found guilty by the courts of drugging his ex-sister-in-law and former employee to commit “rape or sexual assault”.
While the prosecution had requested 18 months’ suspended prison sentence, the criminal court has revised this penalty downwards. French daily Le Figaro reported that Emmanuel Macron’s close friend was finally given a one-year suspended prison sentence for drugging his ex-sister-in-law and former collaborator Sophie Conrad.
The court found that the drug was poured into the victim’s drink “in order to commit rape or sexual assault against her”.
The affair began on the night of 22-23 February 2022, during a dinner at Bigorgne’s home. After drinking half a glass of champagne, Sarah Conrad began to feel ill and left the premises, heading for hospital. Toxicological tests confirmed the presence of MDMA, a rape drug from the amphetamine family in the blood of woman.
“It is a recognition of what happened and the facts, a complete recognition,” said Conrad after the verdict. “Today, I no longer have any doubt that his intention was, unfortunately, sexual and to rape me,” she said at the hearing.
Bigorgne’s lawyer announced that he would “immediately” appeal this “senseless, incoherent decision”. His client was not present at the hearing. Placed in police custody, Bigorgne had quickly admitted to having taken cocaine and poured MDMA into Conrad’s drink that evening, but denied sexual intent.