Didier Maximilien charged in Singapore for vending machine straw mischief

4 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Apr 27

French student Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, allegedly licked a vending machine straw at a Singapore shopping centre on 12 March and posted the act on Instagram.
He faces charges of mischief and public nuisance, with a possible sentence exceeding two years in jail and thousands in fines. iJooz, the machine owner, replaced all 500 straws and initiated sanitation protocols.
Maximilien is an ESSEC Business School student; his parents have flown to Singapore and a school representative will be his bailor. The case, which sparked online outrage, returns to court on 22 May.

Beyond legal penalties, could iJooz sue the student for financial damages?

How will this viral prank reshape hygiene standards for Singapore's automated food vendors?

Does this case set a new precedent for prosecuting social media stunts as public nuisances?

Will the business school expel him before the court reaches a verdict?

Will the student's elite school background influence his legal sentencing in Singapore?

How might this incident affect Singapore's appeal to future international students?