Nudists protest raw deal
28.02.2006 Sunshine Coast Daily
Queensland Australia
By RAE WILSON
SUNSHINE Coast beach nudists were yesterday claiming police harassment as they turned out in numbers to support a 75-year-old nude swimmer contesting Queensland’s “repressive” laws in court.
But they believe they already have one over the police who were ordered to pay $750 costs to Maleny retiree Kenneth Ernest Wenzel after incorrectly charging him with being a public nuisance.
Mr Wenzel is still contesting the new wilful exposure charge for swimming nude at Coolum’s Third Bay because he claims “it has been a nudist beach for 30-odd years”.
He argues that the Coolum crackdown is unfair because police turn a blind eye to the well-known, unofficial nude beach at Alexandria Bay.
Outside court yesterday with his posse of supporters, Mr Wenzel said he was disappointed the hearing was adjourned to May when no magistrate was available.
“They seem to relax the law in some places and other places they police; it’s not even across the board.
“We should have legal beaches; Queensland’s the only state in Australia that doesn’t have legal beaches.”
Free Beaches Australia vice-president Anita Grigg, from Coolum, said she was continually trying to legalise nude beaches in Queensland.
“I feel they’re just trying to harass nudists for something that is a very minor offence and is not hurting anybody. Surely there are other crimes more worthy of police attention,” she said.
28.02.2006 Sunshine Coast Daily
Queensland Australia
By RAE WILSON
SUNSHINE Coast beach nudists were yesterday claiming police harassment as they turned out in numbers to support a 75-year-old nude swimmer contesting Queensland’s “repressive” laws in court.
But they believe they already have one over the police who were ordered to pay $750 costs to Maleny retiree Kenneth Ernest Wenzel after incorrectly charging him with being a public nuisance.
Mr Wenzel is still contesting the new wilful exposure charge for swimming nude at Coolum’s Third Bay because he claims “it has been a nudist beach for 30-odd years”.
He argues that the Coolum crackdown is unfair because police turn a blind eye to the well-known, unofficial nude beach at Alexandria Bay.
Outside court yesterday with his posse of supporters, Mr Wenzel said he was disappointed the hearing was adjourned to May when no magistrate was available.
“They seem to relax the law in some places and other places they police; it’s not even across the board.
“We should have legal beaches; Queensland’s the only state in Australia that doesn’t have legal beaches.”
Free Beaches Australia vice-president Anita Grigg, from Coolum, said she was continually trying to legalise nude beaches in Queensland.
“I feel they’re just trying to harass nudists for something that is a very minor offence and is not hurting anybody. Surely there are other crimes more worthy of police attention,” she said.
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