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| French footballers to go on trial for soliciting minor | French footballers to go on trial for soliciting minor |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Two French football stars, Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema, are to go on trial in Paris on charges of paying for sex with an under-age prostitute. | |
| Both deny the allegations and the girl involved, Zahia Dehar, has said neither player knew she was not 18 at the time. | Both deny the allegations and the girl involved, Zahia Dehar, has said neither player knew she was not 18 at the time. |
| Ms Dehar, now 21, is a household name after launching her own fashion label. | Ms Dehar, now 21, is a household name after launching her own fashion label. |
| Under French law, paid sex with someone under the age of 18 is regarded as sex with a minor - punishable by three years in prison and a 45,000-euro fine. | Under French law, paid sex with someone under the age of 18 is regarded as sex with a minor - punishable by three years in prison and a 45,000-euro fine. |
| Six other people have been charged over the affair, which broke before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Some of them are accused of "aggravated pimping". | Six other people have been charged over the affair, which broke before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Some of them are accused of "aggravated pimping". |
| Prostitution ring | Prostitution ring |
| Mr Ribery, a Bayern Munich midfielder, escaped his childhood deprivation in northern France to become one of Europe's highest-paid footballing stars, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris reports. | |
| He cultivated a wholesome image as a family man, married to his childhood sweetheart, and also as an observant convert to Islam, our correspondent adds. | He cultivated a wholesome image as a family man, married to his childhood sweetheart, and also as an observant convert to Islam, our correspondent adds. |
| But in 2010, he and Mr Benzema, a Real Madrid star, were arrested as part of an investigation into a Paris prostitution ring. | But in 2010, he and Mr Benzema, a Real Madrid star, were arrested as part of an investigation into a Paris prostitution ring. |
| Mr Ribery has since admitted he had sex with Algerian-born Zahia Dehar in Munich in 2009, when she was aged 17. | Mr Ribery has since admitted he had sex with Algerian-born Zahia Dehar in Munich in 2009, when she was aged 17. |
| Mr Benzema meanwhile denies there was any encounter; Ms Dehar says he paid her for sex in 2008, when she was only 16. | Mr Benzema meanwhile denies there was any encounter; Ms Dehar says he paid her for sex in 2008, when she was only 16. |
| In France, the age for consenting sex is 15, but soliciting a prostitute under 18 is a crime. | In France, the age for consenting sex is 15, but soliciting a prostitute under 18 is a crime. |
| Ms Dehar told investigators that neither footballer had known her real age - because she had lied to them. | Ms Dehar told investigators that neither footballer had known her real age - because she had lied to them. |
| The state prosecutor had asked for the case to be dropped in November 2009, but the investigating judge said Ms Dehar looked so young that they must have known. | The state prosecutor had asked for the case to be dropped in November 2009, but the investigating judge said Ms Dehar looked so young that they must have known. |
| Mr Ribery's lawyer, Carlo-Alberto Brusa, says Ms Dehar travelled across borders for paid sex and knew exactly what she was doing. | Mr Ribery's lawyer, Carlo-Alberto Brusa, says Ms Dehar travelled across borders for paid sex and knew exactly what she was doing. |
| "In French law, it's not forbidden to make love to a woman and even to pay her for it, what is forbidden is to do it with a minor," he told the Reuters news agency. "When a woman travels around Europe by plane, can you imagine thinking for one second that she's a minor?" | "In French law, it's not forbidden to make love to a woman and even to pay her for it, what is forbidden is to do it with a minor," he told the Reuters news agency. "When a woman travels around Europe by plane, can you imagine thinking for one second that she's a minor?" |
| He will ask on Tuesday for the case to be thrown out. Neither player will appear at the hearings. | He will ask on Tuesday for the case to be thrown out. Neither player will appear at the hearings. |
| Following the launch of the high-profile investigation, Ms Dehar became fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's muse and protegee, launching her own luxury lingerie line. | Following the launch of the high-profile investigation, Ms Dehar became fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's muse and protegee, launching her own luxury lingerie line. |