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[SITUATION] · [QUIET]

3 clusters · 50 sources · 17 days · First seen 24 days ago · Last updated 7 days ago

Categories: CRIME

French student straw prank case in Singapore

Entities: iJooz · ESSEC Business School · Goldhill Centre · Singapore Supreme Court · Singapore Courts

Overview

A video posted by 19‑year‑old French ESSEC student Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien on 12 March 2026 showed him licking a straw from an iJooz orange‑juice vending machine at Goldhill Centre and returning it to the dispenser. The clip prompted a police investigation and a charge of public nuisance. On 30 July 2026 Maximilien pleaded guilty; Judge Kelly Ho sentenced him to a fine of S$600 (≈ US$465) and imposed no custodial or community‑service order, noting his youth and the low‑grade nature of the offence. Prosecutors had sought only the fine, warning that the stunt could erode public confidence in hygiene standards. iJooz replaced all 500 straws and announced that future units will use individually packaged, lockable‑compartment straws. Immigration officials continue to review his student pass, and he remains on bail while continuing his studies in Singapore. The case has drawn extensive media coverage, highlighting Singapore’s strict enforcement of public‑order and hygiene regulations.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 8 SOURCES] Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19‑year‑old French student, licked a straw from an iJooz orange‑juice vending machine in Singapore. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] He pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance in a Singapore court. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] The court fined him S$600 (about $465). (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] Public nuisance in Singapore can carry a penalty of up to S$2,000 fine or up to three months' imprisonment. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] The iJooz company replaced all 500 straws in the vending machine after the incident. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] The damage recorded by the court was S$5 (about €3.30). (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] He avoided imprisonment, receiving only the fine. (All articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] He posted the video of the act on Instagram with the caption “city is not safe”. (e48c40bd-4662-42d7-991d-25bb48558cfb, 79eee1ea-5337-4535-b001-ce0bfec9400b)

Timeline

7 days ago

[CRIME] 46 sources
French student fined S$600 in Singapore for licking vending‑machine straw
French 19‑year‑old student Didier Maximilien was fined S$600 in Singapore after pleading guilty to a public‑nuisance charge for licking and re‑inserting a vending‑machine straw; he avoided jail and the machine‐
24 days ago

[CRIME] 2 sources
Singapore Court Charges French Student Over Straw Prank
A French ESSEC student in Singapore faces up to two years in jail for a straw‑prank video that led to vandalism charges and a possible loss of his student pass.
24 days ago

[CRIME] 5 sources
French teen's straw‑licking case delayed in Singapore
French 19‑year‑old Didier Maximilien faces mischief and public‑nuisance charges in Singapore for licking a vending‑machine straw; trial postponed to July 30.

Sources

1001infos.net · aeiou.pt · allgaeuer-anzeigeblatt.de · archynetys.com · bbv-net.de · bienpublic.com · bowdencycles.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cheerworld.dk · correiodamanha.pt · doutorjairo.blogosfera.uol.com.br · emissoradasbeiras.pt · enca.com · es.euronews.com · euronews.net · fr.news.yahoo.com · global.liputan6.com · halifax.citynews.ca · hani.co.kr · hd.stheadline.com · hellwegeranzeiger.de · independent.co.uk · infonormandie.com · ladiscussione.com · ledauphine.com · lejsl.com · lesinguliersete.fr · lidovky.cz · m.kurier.at · marler-zeitung.de · memesita.com · mobil.muensterlandzeitung.de · mobil.ruhrnachrichten.de · myjoyonline.com · mymotherlode.com · news.co.za · news.donga.com · newswire.lk · nn.de · nypost.com · parismatch.com · republicain-lorrain.fr · sairaalahaku.fi · sri.org.pk · stimberg-zeitung.de · theindependent.sg · tr.euronews.com · vosgesmatin.fr

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history