Shein suspension over childlike sex dolls rejected by French court
The court acknowledged the seriousness of selling both the dolls and weapons in its judgement, but called them isolated incidents.
Efforts to suspend the website of fast-fashion giant Shein after sales of childlike sex dolls have been rejected by a Paris court.
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The court ordered the fashion retailer to introduce age verification for the sale of adult products, but called the request for a three-month suspension "disproportionate".
The action was brought last month, after France's consumer watchdog reported the company to authorities for selling "sex dolls with a childlike appearance".
Shein have also been accused of selling weapons on its platform via a third-party.
In a statement on Friday, the French government said they would appeal the ruling.
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Shein said its priority remained protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance.
The court acknowledged the seriousness of selling both the dolls and weapons in its judgement, but called them isolated incidents.
The ruling declared that any subsequent breach of the new age verification process would result in a fine of €10,000 (£8,700; $11,700).
The action of the Chinese company, who removed the offending items once it had been made aware of them, was also acknowledged by the court, who noted the issues related to a small number of sales taking place on the site.
Following the controversy, Shein announced it would be banning the sale of all sex dolls on its site internationally.
The French government also requested that Shein be forced to suspend the sale of third-party items on its website, which was the source of the initial offending items. This was also rejected by the courts.
The controversy has coincided with the company opening its first physical store in the French capital this winter, with the launch garnering the attention of both shoppers and protesters.
Protesters highlighted the sale of the sex dolls, but also raised issue with the company's status as a fast-fashion retailer on environmental grounds.
Shein said in a statement: "We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry.
"Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations."