The law in France?

[jgr20042004]

France is often cited as a naturist-friendly country, but this does not alter the fact that you cannot be naked on any beach - even, it seems, when the beach is not crowded. What I should like to know is this.

We have a holiday home in Brittany - a part of the country not renowned for naturism, even though a very small number of naturist beaches may be found. However, our house stands alone in a field (apart from a barely habitable cottage that is rarely visite) and the only approaches to it are via a long path or a gate at the far end of the field. If I choose to go naked in such idyllic surroundings what is my position if I am caught? (I am not a French citizen, only a visitor to the country.) If of course I am near the door I can dash into the house, but if I walk some distance from the house and am caught and am unable to cover myself what does French law say?

[jgr20042004]

France is often cited as a naturist-friendly country, but this does not alter the fact that you cannot be naked on any beach - even, it seems, when the beach is not crowded. What I should like to know is this.

We have a holiday home in Brittany - a part of the country not renowned for naturism, even though a very small number of naturist beaches may be found. However, our house stands alone in a field (apart from a barely habitable cottage that is rarely visite) and the only approaches to it are via a long path or a gate at the far end of the field. If I choose to go naked in such idyllic surroundings what is my position if I am caught? (I am not a French citizen, only a visitor to the country.) If of course I am near the door I can dash into the house, but if I walk some distance from the house and am caught and am unable to cover myself what does French law say?

[nacktman]

Don't know what the actual laws are about being nude on the beaches in France, but I do know from being on the beaches of France the attitude is one of C'est Le Vivre.

Many days as a student, my friends and I would be at the beach and you could see all manner of dress or lack thereof, even those wearing bathing suits usually stripped on the beach and put them on there.

The authorities did not raise an eyebrow. The local magistrate was the host for my study abroad program and he, his wife and his daughters were always on the beach nude. Going to the beach with them was my first time on the beach nude myself although growing up in the country and I had been swimming nude all my life at the swimmin'hole in the woods back home.

The best way to find out your answer is just ask the local authorities.

[RunningNude57]

JGR, The law is very plain and states:

Depuis 1993, la notion d' « outrage public à la pudeur » a été remplacée dans le nouveau code pénal, par la notion « d'exhibition sexuelle ».
L’article 222-32 punit d'une peine maximun d'un an de prison et de 15.000 euros d’amende «l’exhibition sexuelle imposée à la vue d’autrui »,
sans autre forme de précision. Ce qui a conduit le Garde des Sceaux de l'époque M. Henri Nallet, à préciser que
«seuls les comportements sexuels présentant le caractère d'une exhibition imposée à des tiers tomberont
sous le coup de la loi pénale, et ne seront donc incriminées que les attitudes obscènes ou provocatrices ».


Définition de l'exhibition sexuelle:
L'exécution en public ou dans un lieu accessible à la vue de tous, d'actes sexuels, sur soi-même ou la personne d'autrui, et susceptibles
par leur publicité d'outrager la pudeur d'autrui. La nudité en elle-même, exposée sans volonté de mettre seulement en exergue une partie
à caractère sexuel n'est pas constitutive du fait délictuel.
[Les violences sexuelles, Pr. M. Le Gueut-Develay, CHU de Rennes, Service de Médecine Légale.].


En 2003, l'association Natitude a envoyé aux parlementaire un manifeste pour la dépénalisation explicite de la nudité. Quelques semaines après,
un député a soumis la question au ministre de la justice: Question N° : 16460 de M. Liberti François (Député Com. et Rép. - Hérault)
Ministère interrogé : justice, Ministère attributaire : justice
Question publiée au JO le : 14/04/2003 page : 2861. Réponse publiée au JO le : 30/06/2003 page : 5244 Rubrique : droit pénal.
Tête d'analyse : atteintes à la personne humaine. Analyse : exhibition sexuelle.
Texte de la QUESTION : M. François Liberti, à l'attention de M. le garde des sceaux, ministre de la justice, sur la nécessité de dépénaliser l'acte
explicite de la nudité. La loi française réprime selon les termes de l'article 222-32 du code pénal «l'exhibition sexuelle imposée à autrui».
La qualification «exhibition sexuelle» suppose la réunion de trois éléments:
l'acte matériel d'exhibition sexuelle lui-même, le fait qu'il ait été commis en public (dans un lieu public ou dans un lieu privé mais à la vue d'autrui)
et la conscience d'offenser volontairement ou par négligence la pudeur publique. Ce qui ne correspond en rien à l'activité du naturisme.
L'application stricte de cet article entraîne certains effets pernicieux. Il est inégalement appliqué sur l'ensemble du territoire fiançais.
Il ne correspond plus à l'évolution des moeurs et des mentalités actuelles, et est en retrait par rapport aux législations des pays voisins.
C'est la raison pour laquelle il lui propose que l'article 222-32 du code pénal soit précisé de manière à mettre fin à un flou juridique.
Il lui demande que dans le code pénal soit précisé que dans tout lieu pouvant se prêter à des activités de plein air, nautiques ou de détente,
la simple nudité ne constitue pas une exhibition sexuelle.

Hope this helps.

quote:

Originally posted by jgr20042004:
What I should like to know is this.

If of course I am near the door I can dash into the house, but if I walk some distance from the house and am caught and am unable to cover myself what does French law say?

[John P]

Here's what Babelfish makes of it:

Since 1993, the concept of "public insult to decency" was replaced in the new penal code, by the concept "of sexual exhibition". Article 222-32 punishes of a sorrow maximun one year of prison and 15.000 euros fine "the sexual exhibition imposed on the sight of others", without another form of precision. What led the Minister of Justice of the time Mr. Henri Nallet, to specify that "only the sexual behaviors presenting the character of an exhibition imposed on thirds will fall under the blow from the criminal law, and will thus be accused only the attitudes obscenes or provocative". Definition of the sexual exhibition: Execution in public or in a place accessible to the sight of all, sex acts, on oneself or the person of others, and likely by their publicity of outrager the decency of others. Nudity in itself, exposed without will to put only forward a part in sexual matter is not constitutive of the criminal fact. [ sexual violences, pr. M. Gueut-Develay, CHU of Rennes, Service of Forensic medicine. ]. In 2003, Natitude association sent to the member of Parliament a proclamation for the explicit de-penalisation of nudity. A few weeks after, a deputy submitted the question to the Minister for justice: N° Question: 16460 of Mr. Liberti François (Appointed Com. and Rép. - Herault) questioned Ministry: justice, Ministry assignee: justice Question published with the OJ it: 14/04/2003 page: 2861. Response published to the OJ it: 30/06/2003 page: 5244 Heading: criminal law. Head of analysis: attacks with the human person. Analyze: sexual exhibition. Text of the QUESTION: Mr. François Liberti, to the attention of Mr. it Minister of Justice, Minister for justice, on the need for dépénaliser the act clarifies nudity. The French law represses according to terms' of article 222-32 of the penal code "the sexual exhibition imposed on others". The qualification "exhibition sexual" supposes the meeting of three elements: the material act of sexual exhibition itself, the fact that it was made in public (in a public place or a private place but with the sight of others) and the conscience to voluntarily offend or by negligence public decency. What corresponds of nothing to the activity naturism. The strict application of this article involves certain pernicious effects. It is unequally applied to the whole of the territory were engaged. It does not correspond any more to the evolution of manners and current mentalities, and is in withdrawal compared to the legislations of the close countries. This is why it proposes to him that article 222-32 of the penal code is specified so as to put an end to a legal blur. It asks him that in the penal code be specified that in any place which can lend itself to activities of full air, nautical or of relaxation, simple nudity does not constitute a sexual exhibition.

Hope this helps.

[shãybare]

Thanks for clearing that up, but you say it says what? haha

[capers]

quote:

Originally posted by John P:
Here's what Babelfish makes of it:

"Since 1993, ..."
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the Babelfish attempt, it quite destroyed my faith in Douglas Adams even though it was better than merely posting the French legislation (I think).

Can anybody provide a short English precis of the French law?

[NewbieM]

quote:

Originally posted by John P:
Here's what Babelfish makes of it:

I've tried to clear it up a little. This is in no way a legal translation.



Since 1993, the concept of "Indecent Exposure" was replaced in the new penal code, by the concept "of sexual exhibition". Article 222-32 states a maximum sentence of one year of prison and 15.000 euros fine for a "sexual exhibition imposed on the sight of others", without going into any other detail.

What led the Minister of Justice of the time Mr. Henri Nallet, to specify that "only the sexual behaviors presenting the character of an exhibition imposed on a third party will fall under the jurisdiction of criminal law, and thus only the attitudes deemed obscene or provocative will be incriminating".

Definition of sexual exhibition: Execution in a public place or in a place accessible to the sight of all, of sexual acts, on oneself or onto another person, and susceptible to offend another person's decency by their public nature. Nudity in itself, without the will of only emphasising a body part with sexual connotations, is not constitutive of the criminal fact.

[ sexual violences, pr. M. Gueut-Develay, CHU of Rennes, Service of Forensic medicine. ].

In 2003, the Natitude association sent to the members of Parliment a manifest demanding the explicit de-criminalization of nudity. A few weeks later, a member of Parliment submitted the question to the Minister of Justice:

Question No.: 16460 of Mr. François Liberti (Appointed MP and Rep. - Herault)

Department Questioned: Justice

Department Assigned: Justice

Question published in the Official Journal of Parliment: 14/04/2003 page: 2861.

Response published in the OJ: 30/06/2003 page: 5244 Heading: Criminal law. Sub-heading: Attacks to the human person Further sub-heading: Sexual exhibition.

Text of the QUESTION: Form Mr. François Liberti, to the attention of Mr. the Minister of Justice, Department of Justice, on the need for de-criminalizing the explicit act of public nudity.

The French law penalizes according to terms' of article 222-32 of the Penal Code "sexual exhibition imposed on others".

The qualification of "sexual exhibition" supposes the meeting of three elements: the material act of sexual exhibition itself, the fact that it was made in public (in a public place or a private place but within the sight of others) and the conscious will to voluntarily offend or by negligence, public decency. This does not correspond at all to the act of practicing naturism. The strict application of this article involves certain pernicious effects. It is unequally (unevenly) applied to the whole of the jurisdiction (comment: France). It does not correspond any more to the evolution of customs and current mentalities, and is lagging compared to the legislations of the neighboring countries.

This is why it is proposed to [the Minister and the Department of Justice] that article 222-32 of the penal code should be specified so as to put an end to the legal blur.

It is asked [the Minister and the Department of Justice] that the penal code be specified so that in any place which can lend itself to outdoor activities, nautical or of relaxation, simple nudity does not constitute sexual exhibition.

[P & C]

Though France is quite a lot more tolerant of nudity than the US counterparts, it definitely seems to be a regional situation. Having done a bit of reading of French message boards, there seems to be some issues of intolerance on some beach areas there as well. It makes me wonder if Europe is moving toward more conservative ideas on the topic as well. Let's hope not!

P