An Algerian nanny with antisemitic motives poisoned a French Jewish family that hired her to care for three children, age 2, 5 and 7.
By Rachel Avraham
According to various media outlets, an Algerian nanny, who was living illegally in France, is being charged with poisoning a French Jewish family that she worked for in the greater Paris metropolitan area. The Times of Israel reported that the suspect, known as Leïla Y., is believed to have been motivated by antisemitic beliefs. According to the report, she was detained in February 2024 and charged with “administering a harmful substance resulting in incapacity exceeding eight days, committed on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.”
The Times of Israel reported that investigators allege that shortly after she was hired in January 2024, the suspect began mixing toxic household cleaning agents into wine, juice, pasta and cosmetics belonging to the couple who hired her to care for their three children, aged 2, 5 and 7 at the time. The suspect also provided the couple with false Belgian identity documents when her visa ran out, which is another offense that she is being prosecuted for.
According to the Combat Antisemitism Movement, “On January 30, 2024, the children’s father reported that his wife had sipped wine that tasted of a cleaning product. Soon after, she noticed that her makeup remover burned her eyes. The night before the report, moments after the nanny had left the home, she detected foam on a bottle of grape juice and a bleach-like odor coming from a bottle of wine. No one other than the family and the nanny had access to the house.”
The Jerusalem Post reported that a toxicology report carried out by the police found polyethylene glycol (PEG) and other chemical agents in the family’s wine, whisky, fig alcohol, grape juice, and even pasta. According to the report, PEG is used in many products, such as eye drops and cosmetics, due to its surfactant and humectant properties. These chemicals are “harmful, even corrosive, and can cause serious injuries to the digestive tract,” according to the Criminal Court Referral Order (ORTC).
The Combat Antisemitism Movement noted that the Algerian nanny was taken into custody on February 5th: “During questioning, she confessed to contaminating the family’s food and drinks. Her statements revealed an explicit antisemitic motive. According to the report, she told police she carried out the poisoning attempt “because they have money and power,” and added, “I should never have worked for Jews; they only brought me problems.” She acknowledged wanting to cause the family pain as a “warning” during a dispute over her wages. A security guard at the children’s Jewish school corroborated her prior antisemitic remarks, recalling that she complained the family was “stingy” and insisted, “They have money, they can give it to me.””
According to the Combat Antisemitism Movement, “The case underscores the persistent threat of antisemitic violence directed at Jewish families, even within private spaces presumed to be safe.” Haaretz reported that France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish population, with roughly 440,000 people who self-identify as Jewish, according to the Institute for Jewish Policy Research. A report published earlier this year by Tel Aviv University found that there were 1,570 reported antisemitic incidents in France in 2024, down from 1,676 in 2023, but still well above the 436 cases recorded in 2022.
Photo from La Chaine de Mohamed Sifaoui: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcvRWFAbLPg
