- Title: Spanish court backs man's right to walk naked in the street
- Date: 3rd February 2023
- Summary: ALDAIA, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 3, 2023) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS NUDITY*** ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, 29, MAN WHO WAS FINED FOR WALKING NAKED THROUGH THE STREETS OF A TOWN NEAR SPAIN'S VALENCIA AND LATER TRIED TO ATTEND A COURT HEARING IN THE NUDE, RIDING BIKE WHILE NAKED (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, 29, SAYING: “The fine does not make any sense, I was accused of obscene exhibitionism, which according to the dictionary has a sexual intention and has nothing to do with what I was doing. What I was accused of, having children there, in case there was a sexual intention was to go to jail, not a fine. But it had no relation to what I was doing.†COLOMAR RIDING BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, 29, SAYING: “I was in a park working out, I used to do that every night. When it was hot, I would take my shirt off and I argued with a woman and she said she couldn't go shirtless, because if she went shirtless she would get called all kinds of names. Her complaint made sense but it didn't make sense that I had to cover up because of that, the problem was in society, not in my nudity or semi-nudity.†COLOMAR RIDING BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, 29, SPEAKING ABOUT THE WOMAN WHO COMPLAINED. SAYING: “I talked to her and asked her how I could make sure that the boys were also told about everything in the same way and what to do in that case. And if a guy takes off his underwear it is similar to if a woman takes off her shirt in terms of society's reaction. That's what I did, the next day I had an excursion with that person and a cycling association and I told her that the next day I was going to go naked.†COLOMAR RIDING BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, 29, SAYING: “On the street they don't say anything to me, but there are people who complain and others who support me. I would say that there are more people supporting me than complaining, there has been everything, people who have pulled a knife on the street, a lot of stories.†SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, 29, SAYING: “It’s quite good news, I only have one lost trial that is appealed and we hope to win soon, and all the others justice is leaving quite bad the performance of the police and Government Delegation.†COLOMAR RIDING BIKE
- Embargoed: 17th February 2023 16:02
- Keywords: Spain Valencia court naked man nude
- Location: ALDAIA, SPAIN
- City: ALDAIA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Europe,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001734703022023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS NUDITY
A Spanish court has ruled in favour of a man who appealed after being fined for walking naked through the streets of a town in the Valencia region and later tried to attend a court hearing in the nude.
The region's high court said in a statement it had struck down an appeal against a lower court's decision earlier to annul fines handed out by Valencia's regional government to the man for being naked in the streets of Aldaia, a town on the outskirts of the regional capital.
It did, however, acknowledge a "legal vacuum" in Spanish law regarding public nudity.
Alejandro Colomar, 29, was filmed arriving at court wearing just a pair of hiking boots before being ordered to put more clothes on to enter the building. In the trial, he argued that the fines infringed on his right to ideological freedom.
He told Reuters on Friday (February 3) he began stripping off in public in 2020 and has received more support than insults when walking about naked, although he was once threatened with a knife.
"The fine doesn't make any sense," he said standing on his bike in Aldaia, near Valencia. "They accused me of obscene exhibitionism. According to the dictionary that implies a sexual intention and it has nothing to do with what I was doing."Â
He explained he started appearing naked in public after an argument with a woman when he took off his shirt while exercising.
Colomar said he understood she could not do the same, but blamed the society for it and started going nude.
Public nudity has been legal in Spain since 1988. Anyone can walk naked down a street without being arrested, but some regions such as Valladolid and Barcelona have introduced their own laws to regulate nudism, especially away from the beach.
Cadiz last year reversed a law that prohibited nudism on its urban beaches.
The court noted that no local law in Aldaia prohibits nudism and nor could his nudity be considered to fall within a law that prohibits "acts of obscene exhibitionism".
Colomar "limited himself to remaining or circulating naked at different times in two different streets of Aldaia,"the court said in its ruling. His behaviour did not imply an "alteration of citizen security, tranquility or public order."Â
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