French teen faces two years in prison for licking vending machine straw in Singapore
By Jessie Yeung and Satish Cheney, CNN
(CNN) — A French teenager is facing up to two years in a Singapore prison after he allegedly licked a straw in an orange juice vending machine – then placed it back in the dispenser.
Singapore, a small, highly-developed and wealthy financial hub in Southeast Asia, is well-known for its strict laws.
The incident took place on March 12 at a shopping center, according to Singapore police. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, was charged with two offenses for the alleged crime.
The first – a public nuisance offense – is punishable by up to three months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (about $1,570). The second offense of mischief carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
The teenager allegedly filmed himself committing the offense and posted it on social media, which quickly went viral and prompted authorities to investigate, according to local media reports.
IJOOZ, the company that operates the vending machines, reportedly had to replace all 500 straws in the machine he used, according to local media.
The teenager is a student at the Singapore branch of the Essec Business School, a French institution with several international campuses. The school confirmed his attendance there, and said it had provided support to the student and are in close contact with his family – but declined to comment further, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
CNN has reached out to IJOOZ, as well his lawyers for comment.
He was offered bail at 5,000 Singapore dollars (about $3,920), according to the Singapore judiciary site. His next court date is on May 22.
It’s not the first time a foreign teenager has fallen afoul of Singapore’s strict laws.
One of the most high-profile cases happened in 1993, when American Michael Fay was arrested for possession of stolen items and vandalizing several cars by spray painting them.
Fay was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane, which was reduced to four strokes after the case caused an international furor and intervention from then-US President Bill Clinton.
Singapore carried out the caning despite strong pressure from Washington, maintaining that it was important to uphold its own laws, even for foreign nationals – briefly straining the US-Singapore relationship.
The-CNN-Wire
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