Franck Ribéry, Karim Benzema to stand trial over underage prostitution

Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema, two of France's top footballing stars, are to stand trial for allegedly soliciting an underage prostitute.

The prosecution claims that both men paid for sexual encounters with Zahia Dehar, now 20, when she was under 18.



The Guardian reports that the pair will appear with six other defendants, some of whom will also be levelled with the charge of "aggravated pimping".

Last November, the state prosecutor requested that the charges against the two should be dropped on the grounds that they were unaware Dahar was under 18 - however, the investigating judge in charge of the case disagreed and has now sent the case to trial.

Both players face a possible three years in prison or a €45,000 (£35,000) fine if found guilty.

Following an investigation into an alleged pimping network at a Paris bar, Dahar told investigators that Benzema paid for sex with her when she was 16 in 2008, while Ribéry is purported to have had sex with her the following year, flying her over to Munich as a 26th 'birthday present' to himself.

Dahar is now a fashion designer and model, who has been taken under the wing of renowned designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Ribéry and Benzema are two of European football's biggest names, playing for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively.