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French teen facing jail over straw licking stunt allowed to leave Singapore

3 articles
2 sources
0% diversity
Updated 30.4.2026
Key Topics & People
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien *Singapore Vending machine straw incident iJooz Channel NewsAsia (CNA)

Coverage Framing

2
1
Human Interest(2)
Legal & Judicial(1)
Avg Factuality:85%
Avg Sensationalism:Low

Story Timeline

Apr 30 Morning

1 articles|1 sources
straw licking stuntcriminal chargessingaporefrench teenagersocial media
Human Interest(1)
South China Morning PostApr 30

French teen facing jail over straw licking stunt allowed to leave Singapore

A French teenager, Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, accused of a public nuisance offense in Singapore for licking a straw and returning it to a vending machine dispenser, has been granted permission to leave the country for three weeks. The 18-year-old's video of the act went viral on social media, leading to his arrest in Singapore, a nation known for its strict stance on public behavior. He was allowed to depart on the condition that he returns to face his charges. The incident highlights Singapore's zero-tolerance policy towards actions deemed disruptive or unsanitary.

MeasuredFactual1 source
Neutral

Key Claims

factual

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien is accused of posting to social media a video of himself putting the straw he licked back into the dispenser on an orange juice vending machine.

factual

The French teenager was granted permission to leave Singapore for three weeks on pledges to return.

factual

Singapore has a reputation for not tolerating bad behaviour.

Apr 27 Evening

1 articles|1 sources
vending machinepublic nuisancemischiefteenagersingapore
Human Interest(1)
South China Morning PostApr 27

French teen in Singapore faces jail for licking and returning vending machine straw

An 18-year-old French student in Singapore, Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, faces charges of mischief and public nuisance. He allegedly filmed himself licking a straw and then returning it to an orange juice vending machine. The incident, which occurred in Singapore, was reportedly uploaded to Instagram. Prosecutors stated that the teenager knew his actions would likely cause annoyance to the public. The court documents revealed these details on Monday.

MeasuredFactual1 source
Negative

Key Claims

factual

French teenager has been charged with mischief and public nuisance in Singapore for licking a straw and putting it back in an orange juice vending machine.

factual

The teenager is studying in Singapore, according to court records.

— court records

factual

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien is 18 years old.

quote

The teenager allegedly filmed himself 'licking a straw and placing it back at the vending machine', uploaded the video on Instagram knowing that it 'would or would probably cause annoyance to the public'.

Apr 27 Morning

1 articles|1 sources
public nuisancevending machinemischiefsingaporeteenager
Legal & Judicial(1)
BBC News - WorldApr 27

French teen who licked vending machine straw faces jail in Singapore

An 18-year-old French teenager, Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, faces charges of mischief and public nuisance in Singapore for allegedly licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and returning it to the dispenser. The incident occurred on March 12th at a shopping center, and a video of the act was posted on Instagram. The vending machine company, iJooz, replaced all straws in the affected dispenser and filed a police report. If convicted, Maximilien could receive over two years in jail and significant fines. The video sparked widespread disgust online and was reported by local news outlets.

MeasuredFactual2 sources
Negative

Key Claims

factual

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien has been charged with committing mischief and being a public nuisance in Singapore.

factual

The company iJooz replaced all 500 straws in the machine's dispenser after the alleged incident.

— iJooz

factual

The alleged incident took place on 12 March at a shopping centre in Singapore.

factual

iJooz lodged a police report and initiated sanitation protocols and inspections at its machine following the incident.

— Channel NewsAsia

prediction

If found guilty of both charges, Maximilien faces a maximum jail sentence of more than two years and thousands of dollars in fines.