"Had to Urinate by the Roadside"... Senior Official Gave This to 240 Women and Recorded Their Reactions [Health Talk]

[The Financial News] Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that a former senior official in France gave drinks mixed with diuretics to over 200 women and recorded their reactions.
According to reports from The Guardian, Daily Mail, and other foreign media on the 28th, Christian Negre, a former senior official at the Ministry of Culture of France, is under investigation for allegedly serving coffee or tea laced with diuretics to about 240 female job seekers between 2011 and 2019.
This came to light during a police investigation in 2018, after Negre was caught attempting to secretly film a female employee's legs under his office desk.
Police discovered a document titled 'Experiment' on his computer, which contained detailed records of the interview dates, drug dosages, and the women’s reactions.
Victims reported experiencing tremors, dizziness, and severe humiliation. Some stated they were unable to hold their urine in public and soiled their clothes.
Victim A shared that during her 2015 interview, she drank the coffee Negre offered out of courtesy and then participated in a walking interview for several hours.
She said, "The urge to urinate grew stronger. My hands were shaking, my heart was pounding, and sweat formed on my forehead." She added, "I told Negre I needed a break, but he insisted we keep walking."
She continued, "In the end, I couldn't hold it any longer and had to crouch by a tunnel to urinate. Negre approached, saying he would shield me with his jacket. It was truly degrading."
Afterwards, she blamed herself for the incident, stopped her job search, and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Victim B, who interviewed with Negre in 2011, realized she was also a victim after being contacted by police. She recalled that during her interview at the Ministry of Culture of France, Negre suggested they drink coffee and take a walk outside.
She said, "I wanted to use the restroom and told Negre I wanted to go back. He looked me straight in the eye and asked, 'Do you need to pee?' His tone was as if an adult was speaking to a child."
Ultimately, she was unable to hold her urine while searching for a restroom and soiled her clothes.
Negre was dismissed from public office in 2019 over the incident, but was able to continue working in the private sector while the case was delayed.
The victims’ lawyer stated, "On the surface, this may appear to be a sexual fantasy, but in reality, it is a crime of power intended to humiliate and dominate women through control over their bodies." The lawyer also criticized the six-year trial delay, saying, "This amounted to secondary victimization and further aggravated the victims’ trauma."

Diuretics are medications that remove excess water and sodium from the body to regulate blood volume and blood pressure. They are primarily used to relieve swelling caused by fluid retention in conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, kidney disease, and cirrhosis, as well as to reduce the burden on the heart and blood vessels.
As fluids are expelled, symptoms like shortness of breath improve, and swelling in the legs or weight gain also decrease. For some patients, diuretics can lower intracranial or intraocular pressure.
However, various side effects may occur, including dehydration, hypokalemia, hyperlipidemia, and sexual dysfunction. The most important concerns are electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Loss of sodium, potassium, and magnesium through urine can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps, and dizziness.
Excessive use may cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and damage kidney function due to dehydration. Therefore, when taking diuretics, it is important to prevent side effects through regular blood tests and consultation with a medical professional.
When taking diuretics, it is recommended to drink at least one liter of water per day. Coffee and alcohol should be reduced as they can cause dehydration. If you are taking a diuretic that leads to potassium loss, it is advisable to consume potassium-rich foods such as bananas, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter