Benzema and Ribery cleared

Posted Friday, January 31, 2014 by Marca.com

Benzema and Ribéry were cleared today, Thursday, on charges of having acquired the services of an underage prostitute in 2009.

The Paris Correctional Court also cleared Ribéry's brother-in-law, but handed down prison sentences to those in charge of the Zaman Café nightclub, located near the Champs-Élysées in the French capital, around which they had created a prostitution network.

Phone taps by police revealed the names of several France internationals, but charges were only brought against Benzema and Ribéry because the prostitute was underage when they were alleged to have had sex with her.
Benzema and Ribery cleared
Whilst Ribéry admitted having taken part in an orgy with Zahía without knowing that she was a minor, Benzema has always denied the charges. Neither the players nor Zahia – who has transformed herself into a media starlet and lingerie designer – attended the hearing.

At the end of the trial, prosecutors called for the players to be cleared because it was impossible to prove that they knew how old the prostitute was.

Defence lawyers complained about the damage the trial has done to the image of their clients – particularly Ribéry, who was married and had to listen to several witnesses spilling the beans about the orgy in Munich, which he took part in along with his brother-in-law.

"This matter has had catastrophic consequences. We are delighted that it has ended well and Ribéry can move on," assured the player's lawyer.