An 18-year-old French teenager has been charged in Singapore after filming himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back, before sharing the video on social media. The incident provoked strong criticism and he may face jail time and fines.
A French student in Singapore faces serious charges for causing public nuisance and disturbance after filming himself licking a straw from a fresh orange juice vending machine and then returning it to its original place. The vending machine company had to replace all 500 straws for safety reasons.
The case became a scandal online in Singapore when Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, a French student, was brought to court and charged with causing public nuisance and disturbance due to unhygienic behavior inside a shopping mall.
The incident occurred on 12 March at the Goldhill Shopping Centre on Thomson Road. Maximilien is accused of removing a straw from an iJooz automatic fresh orange juice vending machine, licking it, then putting it back in its dispenser. He posted a video of this act on his Instagram story with the caption "city is not safe."
The video was widely shared on community pages and local media, causing anger and disgust among Singaporeans because it was seen as irresponsible behavior that disregarded public health.
iJooz, the owner of the juice vending machine, told Channel News Asia (CNA) that upon learning about the incident, the company reported it to the police and immediately replaced all 500 straws in the machine. They also thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and inspected the machine to ensure consumer safety.
Maximilien, who is a student at the prestigious ESSEC Business School's Singapore campus, is currently undergoing legal proceedings. The school has initiated an internal disciplinary investigation. Meanwhile, his parents have traveled from France to Singapore to support him, and school representatives acted as his guarantors for bail.
If found guilty, he could face penalties for reckless misconduct carrying up to two years in prison, a fine, or both. Additionally, the public nuisance charge carries a maximum of three months in jail, a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 50,800 baht), or both. The Singapore court has scheduled the next hearing for 22 May.