Trial of nanny accused of adding bleach to Jewish family’s food begins in Paris
Police report that the Algerian illegal immigrant told them that her actions towards the family were a "punishment" and a "warning"
The trial of an Algerian nanny accused of attempting to poison the French-Jewish family she was working for has begun in Paris, with prosecutors describing how the 42 year old had poured a liquid containing bleach into items of food and drink consumed by her employers.
The nanny, reportedly known as “Leila”, is believed to have argued with the family about money, but investigators also found that she had carried out searches on her phone related to Jews the month before she was hired.
According to reports from Le Parisien, shortly after ‘Leila’ came to work for the Jewish family in January 2024, family members reported odd tasting food and drink, and the 7-year old daughter said she had seen the nanny pouring something into the food. When police investigated after the family made a complaint in early February, they found significant amounts of polyethylene glycol in different items of food and drink – a substance which can cause allergic reactions, severe diarrhoea, and significant digestive tract injuries if imbibed in large quantities. No-one else other than the family themselves and the nanny had direct access to the food and drink in question.
‘Leila’ was subsequently arrested by police, on suspicion of “administering a harmful substance resulting in incapacity exceeding eight days, committed on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.” She was discovered to be an illegal immigrant, using a falsified Belgian ID card once her initial visa to France ran out.
When officer’s searched the nanny’s accommodation, she is understood to have made a series of remarks regarding her employers, saying “Because they have money and power, I should never have worked for a Jewish woman. She only brought me trouble.” She reportedly also described her actions towards the family as a “punishment” and a “warning”, saying “I was angry, they disrespected me. I knew it might cause them pain, but not enough to kill them.”
The family’s older child told investigators that she saw the nanny “striking the mezuzahs several times.”
The trial opened on Tuesday, at the Nanterre Criminal Court in the French capital. The Jewish family told Le Parisien that they hope that their former nanny is found guilty and expelled from France, saying their motive for the latter hope was “not revenge. It’s to end the fear.”
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