Rappy Veteran Posted July 20, 2010 Veteran Share Posted July 20, 2010 French police have detained football internationals Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema as part of an investigation into an alleged under-age prostitution ring, legal and police sources say. Earlier, they were questioned at the request of an investigating magistrate looking into allegations that a Paris nightclub gave access to under-age girls working as prostitutes. Police have until Thursday morning to decide whether to release them. Both players have denied wrong-doing. One of the women who is alleged to have met clients at the club while she was under age, Zahia Dehar, has already told investigators that she had paid sex with the two players. Mr Ribery's lawyer told reporters in front of the police station where her client was questioned, that Mr Ribery had had no idea the woman was under 18 when he had paid for sex with her in 2009. "It is an intentional offence, he would have to know her age, which wasn't the case," Sophie Bottai said. "She would have to look minor, which wasn't the case; she would have to tell him she was minor, which wasn't the case, since all over the press she claimed that she was adult and that she was more than 20 years old." Under-age sex illegal Under French law, paid sex with someone under the age of 18 is regarded as sex with a minor - even if the general age of consent is 15 - and punishable by three years in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros (?38,000). Ms Dehar, now 18, said she never told her age either to Mr Ribery, who plays for Bayern Munich, or Mr Benzema, a Real Madrid player. Mr Benzema has previously denied any wrongdoing through his lawyer. Earlier this year, police launched a raid on a Champs-Elysees nightclub called the Zaman Cafe and detained 18 girls on suspicion of prostitution. Ms Dehar was not among them, although her name was already known to investigators, who had been carrying out phone taps on the cafe's managers, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheElite Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Wow, Ribery? Isn't he married? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajputwarrior Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 they will get out of this unscathed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted July 21, 2010 Member Share Posted July 21, 2010 Ms Dehar, now 18, said she never told her age either to Mr Ribery, who plays for Bayern Munich, or Mr Benzema, a Real Madrid player. So how where they to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajputwarrior Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 So how where they to know? this is why they will get away with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkenBeard Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 this is why they will get away with it In that case they're not really "getting away with it", they're actually not guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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