11/21/24
April 26, 2010
French World Cup Players Linked to Prostitute: Karim Benzema, Sidney Govou and Franck Ribery, three of the top players on France's national soccer team, have been questioned for allegedly hiring an underage prostitute. None has been charged, but the investigation is dogging the team less than two months before the World Cup.
It's probably along the same lines as Canadian Law. Prostitution is legal, communicating in public for the purposes of prostitution is not.
posted by tommybiden at 05:52 PM on April 26, 2010
France must be wondering what tomorrow will bring, between this episode and all the gossiping about what may or may not be going on behind closed doors in the Sarkozy household.
The World Cup in general is not having a good time of it in the runup to the June opening.
In some parts of the world, ticket sales are disturbingly slow, it seems.
posted by beaverboard at 06:30 PM on April 26, 2010
Not sure if the soliciting question was being asked seriously, but the law is in place to stop pimps and hookers from setting up on street corners.
Along the lines of what tommy said, a person can charge for sex, they just can't try to lure customers in public.
posted by dviking at 06:41 PM on April 26, 2010
The prostitution laws in most European countries are similar in that regard - it's not illegal to be a prostitute, it's not illegal to receive money for providing sex, or indeed to pay for sex, but it is illegal to solicit. Or what tommytrump said.
posted by JJ at 06:42 PM on April 26, 2010
Is it a two-way street? In other words, is it both illegal for a prostitute to solicit a client and for a client to solicit a prostitute? If so, how do they ever make a connection. (I know, same way as in parts of US where it is illegal, just hoping they don't get caught.)
posted by graymatters at 06:59 PM on April 26, 2010
More or less, yeah. Don't ask, don't tell... and leave the money on the night-stand.
posted by JJ at 07:22 PM on April 26, 2010
graymatters:
No, the real issue is soliciting. She was 16, not underage. What i don't understand is how a highly paid soccer player can't get laid in Europe...
posted by StarFucker at 07:31 PM on April 26, 2010
No, the real issue is soliciting. She was 16, not underage.
I suspect the real issue is her age. As per the article, there is a 3 year prison term & a fine ($60,300), for employing the services of an under-age prostitute.
If French laws are simliar to Canada, 18 is the minimum age to be considered an adult.
I don't know French prostitution laws, but my guess would be a significantly lower fine, and minimal, if any jail time for soliciting an adult prostitute.
posted by tommybiden at 07:54 PM on April 26, 2010
She told them she was 18, even though she was 16. But that STILL doesn't matter as 15 is the legal age in France. So unless there are different laws regarding age and being a prostitute, they are in trouble for SOLICITING a prostitute.
The article is being deliberately vague with the details in order to sensationalize the god damn incident...
posted by StarFucker at 08:10 PM on April 26, 2010
It does not matter what she told them.
15 may be the age of consent in France, as 16 is in Canada, but that doesn't mean it's legal for someone to prostitute themselves at that age.
I suspect the minimum age for legal prostitution in France is higher than that of the standard age of consent.
As per some quick research on the intraweb: " Paying someone for sexual services (except those under 18) is not illegal in France."
posted by tommybiden at 08:34 PM on April 26, 2010
The article also states that they may not play in the World Cup now.
Is that because they're gonna be in jail or because its something that is "frowned upon" by the current manager, team rules, whatever?
posted by StarFucker at 08:56 PM on April 26, 2010
Paying a prostitute for sex is very French, but getting caught doing so might be grounds for being stripped of their nationality.
posted by JJ at 05:11 AM on April 27, 2010
No, the real issue is soliciting. She was 16, not underage. What i don't understand is how a highly paid soccer player can't get laid in Europe...
posted by StarFucker at 07:31 PM on April 26
Eponysterical, indeed.
posted by grum@work at 12:42 PM on April 27, 2010
I wonder how Ireland feel about this.
posted by boredom_08 at 03:46 PM on April 27, 2010
I wonder how Stephen Ireland feels about this.
posted by yerfatma at 08:04 PM on April 27, 2010
Well, at least they will be nice and relaxed. Unless they contracted a number of veneral diseases; the medications for which might keep them from playing. Or at least keep from sharing the same lockeroom as the rest of the team.
posted by irunfromclones at 04:56 AM on April 28, 2010
Or at least keep from sharing the same lockeroom as the rest of the team.
They've shared worse.
posted by mjkredliner at 10:19 AM on April 29, 2010
prostitution is legal in France, soliciting it is not
Huh? Can someone explain that to me? I know the real issue in this matter is that she was underage (which is illegal), but what is legal versus what is illegal in the above sentence makes no sense to me.