A French court has sentenced an Algerian nanny to two-and-a-half years in prison for poisoning a Jewish family she worked for in Paris in 2024, while ruling out the aggravating circumstance of antisemitism, despite the defendant’s own statements.
Leïla Y., 42, was convicted on December 18th by a court in Nanterre for deliberately contaminating the food, drinks and personal cosmetics of a Jewish couple and their three young children, aged two, five and seven. Investigators found that bleach-based cleaning products had been added to items including grape juice, wine—one bottle labeled “Jerusalem”—and cosmetic products used by the mother.
The poisoning came to light when the mother noticed foam in juice, a strong bleach smell in wine, and skin irritation after using her cosmetics. Toxicology tests later confirmed the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and other harmful chemicals, substances capable of causing serious digestive and internal injuries.
During police questioning, the nanny allegedly made explicitly antisemitic remarks, saying she “should never have worked for Jews” and accusing the family of having “power and money.” She reportedly admitted knowing her actions would cause suffering, even if she claimed she did not intend to kill.
Despite this, the court ruled out the aggravating circumstance of antisemitism on procedural grounds, stating that the incriminating comments were recorded too late in the investigation and not in the presence of a lawyer. The presiding judge nonetheless described the acts as a “major betrayal of trust.”
During the trial, the defendant recanted her earlier statements, claiming police pressure and arguing the incident stemmed from a payment dispute. Her lawyer framed the crime as an act of social frustration, coming from “oppression“ rather than hatred.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court convicted Leïla Y. of administrative forgery for using a fake Belgian identity card and imposed a five-year ban from French territory.
