Woman charged after buying pink water gun to go with her carnival outfit

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A woman in Switzerland originally received a five-day suspended jail sentence simply for purchasing a pink water gun online as part of her costume for a carnival celebration.

Mia, a woman featured in local news, bought a toy police uniform from Shein for about $3.60 USD to wear to a carnival.

The water gun never arrived.

A few months later, two police officers visited her home in Ticino. Swiss customs had stopped the package, determining that the pink toy was considered a weapon under the country’s strict gun laws.

Lawyer intervenes after woman gets suspended prison sentence for water gun

Switzerland has strict rules about guns and anything that looks like a real firearm. Their laws cover even items that might be mistaken for guns, including toy weapons.

I was reading about this case, and the gun seller, Marco Bordatzi, told a Swiss broadcaster that some actual nine-millimeter guns are surprisingly similar in size and shape to the water pistol Mia ordered. It’s just crazy to think about how easily something like that could happen!

“The law is restrictive, but sensible to avoid confusion,” he said.

Mia was originally accused of bringing weapons into the country and received a five-day jail sentence that she didn’t have to serve unless she committed another crime within a specific timeframe.

She was shocked by what happened. “It’s unbelievable the courts are dealing with a water gun! It just doesn’t make sense,” she exclaimed.

Thanks to a lawyer’s help, the original suspended sentence was canceled and the individual was instead given a fine of 150 Swiss francs, which is about $200 in US dollars.

This whole thing has really got me thinking. It’s started a big conversation online about how strict schools should be with toy guns and things that look like real weapons. Like, where do you draw the line with zero-tolerance rules? It’s a tricky situation, and people have a lot of different opinions.

Similar incidents have made headlines elsewhere.

In 2013, a seven-year-old student in the US was sent home from school after playfully shaping a breakfast pastry like a gun and making a shooting sound.

In 2024, a 13-year-old student took his school to court after being suspended for creating a rifle-shaped sculpture out of Dr Pepper cans and sharing a photo of it on Snapchat.

Switzerland has strict gun laws intended to keep people safe and avoid misunderstandings, but as Mia’s experience proves, even a toy water pistol – even a bright pink one – can lead to legal problems.

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2026-02-10 20:19