A Swiss woman was initially hit with a five-day suspended prison sentence for buying a pink water pistol online to complete her carnival outfit.
The woman, identified in local reports as Mia, wanted to dress as a police officer for carnival celebrations and purchased the toy from fast-fashion retailer Shein for 2.78 Swiss francs, roughly $3.60 USD.
The water gun never arrived.
Instead, months later, two real police officers showed up at her home in the canton of Ticino. Swiss customs had intercepted the package, classifying the pink toy as a violation of the country’s strict firearms legislation.
Lawyer intervenes after woman gets suspended prison sentence for water gun
Switzerland enforces tight controls on weapons and imitation firearms. Under its weapons law, items that could be mistaken for real guns can fall under regulation, even if they are toys.
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster SRF, gun seller Marco Bordatzi explained that some real nine-millimeter firearms resemble the size and shape of the water pistol Mia ordered.
“The law is restrictive, but sensible to avoid confusion,” he said.
Mia was initially charged with importing weapons and given a five-day suspended prison sentence, meaning she would not serve time unless she reoffended within a set period.
Mia bought the pink water gun to go with her police officer outfit.
She was stunned by the outcome. “The justice system got involved over a water pistol. Where’s the common sense?” she said.
After a lawyer intervened, the suspended sentence was overturned and replaced with a fine of 150 Swiss francs, around $200 USD.
The case has sparked debate online about how far zero-tolerance policies should go when it comes to toy guns and imitation weapons.
Similar incidents have made headlines elsewhere.
In 2013, a seven-year-old in the United States was suspended from school for chewing a breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun and saying “bang.”
More recently, in 2024, a 13-year-old boy sued his school after being suspended for gluing Dr Pepper cans together into the shape of a rifle and posting the image on Snapchat.
While Switzerland’s weapons laws are designed to prevent confusion and enhance public safety, Mia’s case shows that even a bright pink water pistol can land someone in serious legal trouble.
