French teen charged in Singapore over vending machine straw-licking viral video

Published on 30/04/2026 - 18:01 GMT+2

A French teen is facing mischief and nationalist nuisance charges successful Singapore aft posting a video connected societal media of himself licking a straw from an orangish foodstuff vending instrumentality and past putting it back.

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, was charged connected 24 April and hasn’t entered a plea, the city-state’s largest English-language newspaper, The Straits Times, said.

He allegedly committed the discourtesy astatine a buying promenade connected 12 March and his video dispersed rapidly erstwhile it surfaced, the study said.

The teen was granted tribunal support connected Wednesday to question to Manila from 2-25 May for a schoolhouse travel required for his graduation, the Straits Times said.

He is owed backmost successful tribunal connected 29 May.

Mischief carries a punishment of up to 2 years successful situation oregon a good oregon both, portion nationalist nuisance is little terrible with up to 3 months successful situation oregon a good oregon both.

IJooz, the institution operating the foodstuff vending machine, filed a constabulary report, and sanitised the dispenser portion replacing each 500 straws successful the machine.

It said it would upgrade its machines to see measures specified arsenic individually packaged straws and straw compartments that unlock lone aft the transaction is completed.

Lawyers for the teen, who is studying successful a French concern schoolhouse successful Singapore, declined to remark connected the lawsuit erstwhile contacted.

Singapore, a small, densely populated city-state, tightly regulates nationalist behaviour and cleanliness.

This includes restrictions similar terrible limits connected the import of chewing gum and beardown penalties for littering and vandalism.