The police have started it again! During the past few weeks the water police conducted several "raids" at Ghajn Tuffieha and Gnejna Bay in which they gave citations to several nudists and at least one lady tourist who was swimming topless and was due to leave Malta the very next day!
Apart from these incidents, we all know about the cases in the press for example the case with the Italian students (1,2).
It is a shame that police are wasting so much resources on such an innocent naturalist activity when they should be directing their efforts to serious problems such as drugs on the streets, vandalism, noise pollution, dangerous driving etc etc. The police seem to be scaring tourists away as if we are such a rich country that we can do without them! The lady tourist mentioned above, said that it was her third visit to Malta and after her ordeal with the police she said it was her last visit. Why did the police insist of giving her a citation when she was leaving Malta the very next day and when her only "offence" was that of being topless at an unofficial nudist beach which was established by the British forces around the second world war?!!!
Several well known guides to Malta describe some beaches as unofficial nudist beaches (eg, 3). Photos with topless bathers are also often included in promotional material. It seems to me that the government is allowing false information to be given to tourists and then when they come to Malta they may end up with a fine or embarrassed by the police for what they assumed was an innocent activity which is well tolerated in Malta.
1) http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/08/12/malta-in-2010-where-skinny-dipping-gets-you-a-prison-sentence/
2) http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100813/local/another-four-men-fined-for-skinny-dipping
3) http://www.guidetomalta.net/holidays-in-malta/malta-best-beaches-guide/
On the day of the 3rd and 7th of October, 2011, despite that the swimming season was closed, the police ALE squad conducted another raid in which they gave citations to about seven persons including two tourists. One tourist lady when she failed to produce identification was asked to dress up so that she will be taken on the police rubber dinghy to police HQ.
I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT MALTA,But being a naturist for 30 years plus,i would not visit the island because nudity is banned on its beaches,im sure many naturists will avoid Malta,so maltese government you are losing tourists.ROY Wilmot.
ReplyDeleteSo far this year, all caught skinny dipping were conditionally discharged (http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120729/local/Teenagers-discharged-over-skinny-dipping.430498). Although police were sighted at one of the unofficial beaches, these did not take any action.
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