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An investigation into fast fashion retailer Shein is underway in France after reports say sex dolls with childish features were found for sale on their online marketplaces.
According to Reuters, the investigation followed outrage from French Finance Minister Roland Lescure, who said he wanted to ban Shein in France for allowing the sale of these products.
Lescure warned social media that access to the SHEIN platform ‘could be excluded from the French market’. His threat came days before Shein was set to open its first physical store in Paris.
On Tuesday, Reuters also reported that several retailers, including Shein, were under investigation for alleged rule violations, including minors accessing pornographic content on their marketplaces, Paris officials said.
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People protest against Shein in France. (REUTERS/Abdul Saboor / Reuters Photos)
The Paris prosecutor’s office said it had received a complaint from police consumer watchdogor DGCCRF, and referred the case to the National Bureau for Minors for investigation, according to Reuters.
The new investigation follows revelations that Shein’s marketplace had also hosted the sex dolls, which resembled children and were allegedly offered by third-party sellers.
“Shein will cooperate 100% with the legal system” company spokesman Quentin Ruffat told RMC radio in France on Tuesday, according to reports.
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People protest against the sale of childish sex dolls by Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein during a demonstration in front of the Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville, department store Le BHV Marais. (REUTERS/Abdul Saboor / Reuters Photos)
“I have heard the concerns of the children’s commissioner… these issues sexual abuse of children are too serious to ignore,” he told the channel.
Ruffat also told news channel BFM TV that the dolls had been available since October 16 and that Shein was “in the process of firing all the dolls.” insulting suppliers from the platform.”
He added that the company would share the names of the sellers and buyers with investigators.
A woman holds a Shein shopping bag. The fast-fashion retailer is under investigation in France for allegedly selling sex dolls with a childish appearance. (Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Shein had removed the dolls from the spot on Sunday. On Monday, the retailer imposed a total ban on sex dolls and suspended the category of adult products.
Donald Tang, executive chairman of Shein, confirmed that the company has removed all products related to the recent controversy over the sale of childish sex dolls and is actively tracking down the source.
In a statement, Tang said: “Fighting child exploitation is non-negotiable for Shein. These were marketplace listings from third-party sellers, but I take this personally.”
“We are tracing the source and will take swift, decisive action against those responsible,” he added.
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Despite the removal, child protection NGO Mouv’Enfants organized a protest outside the BHV department store in Paris on Monday. first permanent store.
