Nude walker arrested for indecent behaviour
People wandering around the mountains in their birthday suits have been surprising hikers in eastern Switzerland.
A 44-year old man, wearing nothing but a rucksack and hiking boots, was arrested by the police in the popular Alpstein area on Thursday. They had been called by a father who had been "shocked and annoyed" to come upon him when he was out walking with his small child.
The police said they had had reports of similar cases in the area, sometimes even involving groups. And a man from Basel told his local paper that he went hiking in the nude once or twice a week.
"To sit down for a bit on a rock and feel its warmth directly on your skin, then to take a dip in the river, and continue your walk afterwards – it's a wonderful feeling to move around freely," he said.
But the police see it differently. The man arrested on Thursday faces charges of indecent behaviour.
A police statement said they hoped that the advent of cooler weather would soon make such cases "a thing of the past".
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The Swiss are generally regarded as an enlightened people, but this arrest should bring that assumption into question. Most countries in Europe would not criminalize mere recreational nude hiking, a totally non-sexual activity that's good for one's health. The complainant in this case apparently automatically equates nudity with sex, which he feels is a criminal activity. Clearly no sexual activity was involved, so it seems the problem is his, not the hiker's. I trust the judge will dismiss this case, and restore Switzerland's good name.