French footballers cleared of having sex with underage prostitute.

Star footballers Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema were today cleared on all charges in their underage sex trial in Paris.

Prosecutor Jean-Julien Xavier-Rolai has been tasked with proving they had illegally slept with a teenage prostitute – a crime which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

But Mr Xavier-Rolai told Paris Correctional Court that it was ‘impossible to prove’ the case against them.

Both Ribery, 30, and Benzema, 26, denied knowingly paying for sex with Zahia Dehar when she was under 18.

Cleared: Karim Benzema, left, and Franck Ribery, right, have both been cleared of paying for sex with prostitute Zahia Dehar when she was under 18

Famous face: Ms Dehar, now 20, has become one of the most famous names in France since the players were first arrested, building up a career as a fashion icon, reality TV star, and the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld

Ms Dehar, now 20, has become one of the most famous names in France since the players were first arrested, building up a career as a fashion icon, reality TV star, and the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Now 20, she has become one of the most famous names in France since the players were first arrested, building up a career as a reality TV star, and the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Neither she, nor the footballers, attended court, instead leaving the process to their lawyers.

Judges in the case today said there would be no further action against Ribery and Benzema.

At the opening of trial earlier this month, Ribery’s defence lawyer said Dehar had withdrawn her status as a civil plaintiff, and conceded that neither men knew how old she was.

Referring to Dehar, barrister Carlo Alberto Brusa said she was ‘no longer the victim and no longer considers herself one, and she is out of the trial.’

He added that even ‘the prosecutor has recommended that the case be dismissed. In consequence, we have a trial without accusations.’

High fashion: Ms Daher attending a Versace fashion show. Trading on her notoriety as a sex symbol, Zahia Dehar reinvented herself as a lingerie designer, showing her first collection on the Paris catwalks in January last year

Ms Dehar has already testified that she had sex with both players for money after lying to them about her age.

The 'Birthday Treat': Ms Dehar was 17 when she was paid in 2009 to fly from Paris to Munich, where Ribery plays for European Champions Bayern Munich, to sleep with him as a 26th 'birthday treat'

The ‘Birthday Treat’: Ms Dehar was 17 when she was paid in 2009 to fly from Paris to Munich. Ribery admitted having sex with her, but said the money he gave her was just for travel, her hotel and food

Paying for sex is legal in France, but only if all parties involved are more than 18 years old. The age of consent in the country is 15.

Ms Dehar was 17 when she was paid in 2009 to fly from Paris to Munich, where Ribery plays for European Champions Bayern Munich, to sleep with him as a 26th ‘birthday treat’.

He admitted having sex with her, but said the cash he gave her – the equivalent of some £650 – was solely for travel, food and a hotel.

Mr Dehar is known to have lied about her age to all the footballers she slept with, including Real Madrid forward Benzema, said Mr Brusa.

Benzema was alleged to have paid Ms Dehar just over £400 to sleep with her after the French Union of Professional Footballers’ awards in May 2008, when she was 16.

Sylvain Cormier, for Benzema, said his client denied this claim, adding: ‘From the outset, Karim Benzema has said that nothing happened.’

Daniel Vaconsin, Ms Dehar’s barrister, confirmed she had withdrawn as a civil plaintiff in the case, so will not be seeking damages. ‘She is not asking for anything,’ he said.

Five others accused in the case today received suspended prison sentences of between three months and two years.