Queensland nudists protest raw deal - court case

[Bushnud2]

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.

[Bushnud2]

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.

[OZJames]

I cannot believe, especially in Australia, that the POLICE would go to a beach and arrest someone unless the allegedly NUDE person was reported by someone who was offended. If someone was upset by the nudity the police should talk to all parties concerned and cause them to have COUNSELING. That would save wasting hours of Police and court time on such trivial matters.

I would like to think that after couseling it would be likely that the apparently offended person would see reason and learn to accept that nudity is part of life and there is nothing offensive about nudity and to the contrary the human body is beautiful (or at least NOT offensive). The person should learn to look away (if they needed to) if a bit of nudity is glimpsed.

Counseling could make the skinny dipper realise that he should swim in a more secluded place next time to MINIMISE any offence that may be caused to others.

The hypocrasy of the police force is shown by this case - charging some and ignoring others.

Unfortunatly my suggestion is probably very idealistic - once the cogs of the law are turned it is hard to stop them.

JAMES

[Nu]

Got to love the cleverness of the headline.
LOL

[shãybare]

I too thought nudity was much more accepted on Australian beaches because of all the tourism from European countries. For the police to spend time on making these arrests is ridiculous.

[grl66]

Shay, as it says in the article, Queensland is the only state to not have legal nude beaches. The acceptance of nudity up there does not reflect the rest of Australia.

(Don't tell anyone I told you, but they're a little behind the times up there.)

[bendigonudey]

This demonstrates not only the idiocy of the Queensland Government in not legalising some beaches, but also how dangerous "unofficial" beaches can be - there have been numerous cases in Queensland over the years of apparently random crack-downs by police at various sites, after years of tacit acceptance. In some instances, I understand that this has occurred at the time nearby property has been "developed" for residential sale. It would be interesting to know if this is the case at Coolum?

[Bushnud2]

They always say, as you cross the border from NSW into Queensland - put your watch back 10 years.
Bushnud, a Queenslander


[QUOTE]
(Don't tell anyone I told you, but they're a little behind the times up there.)

[Bushnud2]

Places like Fraser Island (the largest sand island in the world off the Qld coast) is well known for its nudist European tourists. Also seen to be topless around the resort pools. This is not legal and one day there will be a big crack down on Fraser.
Bushnud

quote:

Originally posted by shaybare:

I too thought nudity was much more accepted on Australian beaches because of all the tourism from European countries. For the police to spend time on making these arrests is ridiculous.

[Bushnud2]

Last Update: Wednesday, July 12, 2006. 9:11am (AEST)
Police accused of nude bathing 'selective enforcement'

The Australian Free Beach Association says selective enforcement of public nudity regulations proves all people in Queensland are not equal before the law.

Ken Wenzell, 75, was yesterday found guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court of wilful exposure on an unofficial nude beach last year near Coolum, on the Sunshine Coast, and no conviction was recorded.

The association's national vice-president, Anita Grigg, says police turn a blind eye to nudists at Noosa's Alexandria Bay, while prosecuting nudists at Coolum's secluded Third Bay.

"It has never been legal to use the unofficial nude beach at [Alexandria] Bay. However, the police up there there do nothing, at the last carnival up there there were 600 people bathing, totally nude and a police car came down on the beach and patrolled right past them," he said.

"The police up there are not going to apply this rule."

ABC NEWSONLINE, Australia

[Tadek]

You are absolutelly right mate. I did spend the last two years (from Adelaide and WA before) in QLD and it become a back water state on many fronts. With such a beautifull wether, and sea side, and beaches, and hills etc. it is a shame, that so single minded people are in power, are rulling this state.
Not only because of they attitude towards naturizm.
As to the law? IN my opinion it is up to discretion of the police superiintendent of the given area. If he is samewhat civilised of course there are no problems, but if he or his boss is concrete head and want to shine or is looking for promotion, this is the easiest target. With huligans they can be called names or yelled at and due to this frighten, or even they may be hurt, and endure posttraumatic stress, so lets go for the "nudis".
Made couple dozens of arrests it looks OK in statistics and superior will be happy and he as well.
Statistics are not to show what kind of criminal offence were these arrests for .
This is why there is so much difference in approaching this subject and so much resistance to change anything.
Power and money.
Sorry for expressing my discontent in such a bitter way

quote:

Originally posted by Bushnud:
They always say, as you cross the border from NSW into Queensland - put your watch back 10 years.
Bushnud, a Queenslander


[QUOTE]
(Don't tell anyone I told you, but they're a little behind the times up there.)