France players Ribery and Benzema on trial over underage prostitute
- 9 years ago
The trial of French international soccer players Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery, charged with having sex with underage prostitute Zahia Dehar, has begun in Paris.
Bayern Munich player Ribery, 30, and Real Madrid striker Benzema, 26, deny knowingly paying for sex with her when she was under 18.
If found guilty they face up to three years in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros.
Dehar's lawyer said she has withdrawn a civil suit. "She is not asking for anything," he said.
The age of consent is 15 in France, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime.
The trial is going ahead after France's high court ruled that only those aware that a prostitute was underage can be found guilty of breaking the law.
Ribery's brother-in-law and five others face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years on charges including "aggravated pimping".
Dehar was flown to Munich in 2009 as a present for Ribery on his 26th birthday and he has admitted having sex with her, but denies he knew that she was underage.
While Benzema, accused of sleeping with Dehar in a Paris hotel, denies that any meeting ever took place.
Dehar has said she had sex with both of them for money after lying to them about her age.
Dehar, now aged 21, has gone on to become the muse of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, a reality TV star and has established herself as a lingerie designer.
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Bayern Munich player Ribery, 30, and Real Madrid striker Benzema, 26, deny knowingly paying for sex with her when she was under 18.
If found guilty they face up to three years in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros.
Dehar's lawyer said she has withdrawn a civil suit. "She is not asking for anything," he said.
The age of consent is 15 in France, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime.
The trial is going ahead after France's high court ruled that only those aware that a prostitute was underage can be found guilty of breaking the law.
Ribery's brother-in-law and five others face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years on charges including "aggravated pimping".
Dehar was flown to Munich in 2009 as a present for Ribery on his 26th birthday and he has admitted having sex with her, but denies he knew that she was underage.
While Benzema, accused of sleeping with Dehar in a Paris hotel, denies that any meeting ever took place.
Dehar has said she had sex with both of them for money after lying to them about her age.
Dehar, now aged 21, has gone on to become the muse of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, a reality TV star and has established herself as a lingerie designer.
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