Ashwin Lewis
In 2014, Karim Benzema, a French footballer who plays for Real Madrid, was acquitted by a French court of having paid for sex with a minor, Zahia Dehar. Dehar, who was 21 at the time of the trial, claimed that she had lied about her age when she had sex with Benzema in 2008, when she was 16 or 17. The age of consent in France is 15, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the alleged victim | Zahia Dehar |
| Year of the alleged incident | 2008 |
| Age of the alleged victim at the time of the incident | 16 or 17 |
| Age of Karim Benzema at the time of the incident | 19 |
| Court verdict | Acquitted |
| Reason for the verdict | Karim Benzema was unaware of the alleged victim's age |
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What You'll Learn
Karim Benzema allegedly paid for sex with a minor
In 2014, Karim Benzema, a French footballer who plays for Real Madrid, was acquitted by a French court of paying for sex with a minor, Zahia Dehar. Dehar, an Algerian-French model, actress, fashion and lingerie designer, and former sex worker, was 16 or 17 at the time of the alleged incident in 2008. She testified that she had sex with Benzema for money after lying to him about her age.
Benzema was initially indicted in 2010 for "solicitation of a minor prostitute", an offence punishable in France by up to three years in prison and a €45,000 fine. The age of consent in France is 15, but prostitution was legal only if the worker was over the age of 18. Dehar entered into prostitution at the age of 16, earning up to €20,000 per month.
The case against Benzema was controversial, with prosecutors believing there was no case to answer. Investigating magistrates pushed for the case to go to trial, and Benzema faced up to three years in prison if convicted. Ultimately, the court found that Benzema was unaware that Dehar was underage, and he was acquitted of the charges.
The scandal brought significant media attention to Dehar, who became a celebrity and established herself as a designer of luxury lingerie. She was also criticised for her involvement in the scandal, earning the nickname "la scandaleuse" ("the scandalous one") in the French press.
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Ms Dehar, or Zahia Dehar, was 16 or 17 at the time
In 2014, Karim Benzema was acquitted by a French court of charges related to an alleged encounter with an underage prostitute, Ms Dehar, or Zahia Dehar, in 2008. Dehar, who was 21 at the time of the trial, testified that she had lied about her age, stating that she was 18 when she met Benzema. She claimed that Benzema had paid to sleep with her, which he denied.
The age of consent in France is 15, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime. Dehar has stated that she entered into prostitution at the age of 16, and court documents indicate that she was 16 or 17 at the time of the alleged encounter with Benzema.
Dehar became a celebrity following the scandal and has since established herself as a designer of luxury lingerie, with support from fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. She has also appeared in various French reality and talk shows and has been nicknamed "la scandaleuse" ("the scandalous one") by the French press.
There are conflicting reports about Dehar's age at the time of the encounter with Benzema. While some sources indicate that she was 16, others suggest she was 17. Dehar herself has stated that she lied about her age, claiming to be 18 when she met Benzema.
The court found that Benzema and Franck Ribery, who was also charged in the case, were unaware that Dehar was underage. Five other suspects, including Abou Sofiane, who acted as a "'matchmaker' between Dehar and the footballers, were convicted of procuring or "aggravated pimping."
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Benzema was accused of solicitation of a minor prostitute
In 2014, Karim Benzema was acquitted by a French court of the charge of solicitation of a minor prostitute. The court found that he was unaware that the prostitute, Zahia Dehar, was underage. Dehar, who was 21 at the time of the trial, had testified that she lied about her age and insisted that she never had sex with Benzema. She became a celebrity following the scandal and established herself as a designer of luxury lingerie.
The case against Benzema and fellow footballer Franck Ribery began in 2010 when Dehar, who was 16 or 17 at the time of the alleged incident in 2008, accused them of paying her for sex. Dehar claimed that she met Benzema in a Champs Elysee nightclub and that he took her back to his hotel where he paid to sleep with her. Benzema denied that any encounter took place.
The age of consent in France is 15, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime. If convicted, Benzema faced up to three years in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros ($55,000). The prosecutors believed there was no case to answer, but the investigating magistrates pushed for the case to go to trial.
In late 2011, the Paris prosecutor asked for a dismissal for both Ribery and Benzema. However, in August 2012, the investigating judge sent both players back to the criminal court on charges of "solicitation of minor prostitute". The trial caused an outcry and prompted criticism from politicians, including the then-President Nicolas Sarkozy.
On 31 January 2014, the criminal court of Paris acquitted Benzema and Ribery, stating that they were unaware that Dehar was underage. Five other suspects, including Abou Sofiane, who acted as a ""matchmaker" between Dehar and the footballers, were convicted of procuring.
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Dehar lied about her age, saying she was 18
In 2014, French footballers Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery were acquitted by a criminal court in Paris of the charge of "solicitation of [a] minor prostitute". The court found that the players were unaware that the woman, Zahia Dehar, was underage at the time of the encounters in 2008 and 2009. Dehar, who was 21 at the time of the trial, testified that she had lied about her age to the footballers, telling them she was 18.
Dehar, who was 16 or 17 at the time of the alleged offences, became a celebrity following the scandal. She has since established herself as a designer of luxury lingerie, and has also worked as a model and actress.
According to reports, Benzema met Dehar in a Champs Elysee nightclub in 2008 and took her back to his hotel, where he paid to sleep with her. Dehar maintains that she lied about her age, telling Benzema and Ribery that she was 18. The age of consent in France is 15, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime.
The footballers, who denied the charges, faced up to three years in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros ($55,000) if convicted. The court's ruling took into account the fact that Dehar was working as a prostitute without a pimp and was likely to have concealed her true age from her clients.
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Benzema was acquitted, with the court saying he was unaware of her age
In 2014, Karim Benzema was acquitted by a French court of charges relating to an alleged encounter with a minor prostitute, Zahia Dehar (also known as Ms. Dehar). Dehar alleged that she had met Benzema in 2008 in a Champs-Elysees nightclub and had been taken back to his hotel, where he paid to sleep with her. At the time of the alleged encounter, Dehar was 16 or 17 years old, and Benzema was accused of "solicitation of a minor prostitute," which is illegal in France.
Benzema denied the charges and claimed that no encounter took place. He was ultimately acquitted by the criminal court of Paris, with the court stating that he was unaware of Dehar's age. The age of consent in France is 15, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is considered a crime. Dehar herself has stated that she lied about her age, insisting that she was 18 at the time.
The case caused an outcry and prompted criticism from politicians, including the then-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Despite the allegations, Benzema continued his successful football career, playing for Real Madrid and the French national team. The court's decision to acquit Benzema was based on the prosecution's belief that there was no case to answer, as it was the investigating magistrates pushing for the case.
It is important to note that, while Benzema was acquitted of the charges related to this specific encounter, the issue of consent and sexual relationships with minors is a serious matter. The legal age of consent varies across jurisdictions, and it is essential to respect and abide by the laws and regulations in place.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Karim Benzema was indicted for "solicitation of a minor prostitute" in 2010, but he was acquitted of the charges in 2014. The court found that he was unaware that the prostitute, Zahia Dehar, was under the age of 18. Dehar testified that she had lied about her age.
Zahia Dehar, also known as Ms. Dehar, was either 16 or 17 at the time of the alleged encounter. She was born on February 25, 1992, and the incident took place in 2008 or 2009.
Karim Benzema was acquitted of the charges against him in 2014. The court found that he was unaware that Dehar was underage, and prosecutors had believed there was no case to answer.
The age of consent in France is 15, but paying for sex with anyone under the age of 18 is a crime. Solicitation of a minor prostitute is punishable by up to three years in prison and a €45,000 fine.
Yes, in 2019, Benzema was found guilty of complicity in the act of blackmail of his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena. He received a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of €75,000.
