An Algerian nanny, Leïla Y., 42, is facing trial in Paris after poisoning a French Jewish family she worked for in January 2024. Investigators say she added bleach-based cleaning products to the family’s food, drinks, and cosmetics, including wine labeled “Jerusalem.” She allegedly justified her actions with antisemitic remarks, stating to police: “I should never have worked for Jews; they only brought me problems. I knew it might make them feel pain, but not so much that it would kill them.”
Leïla—an illegal resident—who cared for the couple’s three children aged two, five, and seven, worked in the household for just over two months. The mother noticed foam in grape juice, a bleach smell in wine, and irritation after using her cosmetics. A toxicology report confirmed polyethylene glycol (PEG) and other harmful chemicals in the family’s food and drinks—substances capable of causing serious digestive injuries.
The nanny told police she targeted the family because they “have power and money” and added, “They are stingy. They did not want to pay me even one more euro. They have money, they can pay me.” A security guard at the children’s school testified that she frequently asked the children about “Jewish religious customs” and that the older child had seen her “striking the mezuzahs multiple times.” Investigators also found searches on her phone for terms such as “barbaric Jews” and posts concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Leïla now faces charges of “administration of a harmful substance, committed because of race, ethnicity, nation or religion.” The family’s lawyer, Patrick Klugman said the case highlights the sharp increase in antisemitic incidents since the October 7th terrorist attacks. He added that the woman acted within the context of anti-Israel propaganda, directing her hatred specifically at the family inside their own home.
