Expatica news

Thun player fined for ‘French kissing’ minor

25 February 2008

THUN – A former player for FC Thun was fined by a Swiss magistrate on Monday for kissing a minor.

Seven current or former players with the Swiss first-division side still must answer in court in the case that caused an uproar in Switzerland when arrests were made last year. Three other individuals are accused of having had sexual relations with the then 15-year-old girl.

The fined player was “accused of French kissing and he confessed,” the office of the local investigating magistrate said in a statement.

He also received an additional, suspended monetary penalty. The statement specified no amount for either the suspended fine or penalty.

It is illegal under Swiss law to have sex with a minor under 16 if the age difference is greater than three years. The maximum penalty for sex with a minor is five years in prison.

Authorities have identified none of the accused individuals by name, in line with Swiss privacy laws. The girl, who has since turned 16, was a member of Thun’s fan club.

Thun stunned Europe in 2005 by qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League. With an annual budget smaller than the individual salaries of many top players, it was the smallest team to ever advance to that stage.

[Copyright ap 2008]