An indecent attitude

@Chris Mifsud::You stated "We need a government that makes any practice of the catholic religion and its teachings illegal." Very bad idea and wishful thinking too.....May I suggest that you should either go to China or Russia, where religion is performed in the hiding. Sorry NO Place for such a Government in Malta or Goz, as anything that goes against our faith we oppose it.

If you are not a believer, then let us practice our religion and what it's laws permit us to do and what it forbit us to perform.

What a joke... Foreigners come to Malta and compare Paceville to Reeperbahn in Hamburg (a red light district) and ask how come so many young girls look like they could be prostitutes, wheras a young student wearing a bikini within walking distance of a beach finds an angry mob...

So, men can go around in Valletta (or anywhere mind you) without a top on. And a woman cannot stay with a bikini in Balluta Square (or anywhere HOT for that matter?).

Get your head out from your.. "behind" dear people.

In my opinion, it is not a matter of being a Catholic counrty, it is a matter of etiquette to wear the appropriate attire depending on the situation. Bikinis are appropriate on the beach but not in the street. A simple sarong wrapped over the bikini would be enough. However I think it was much more rude of the people who lynched th epoor girl and hurled abuse at her. Could one not simply have politely asked her to out a sundress or something when leaving the beach? Did they have to act the way they did? This is very bad publicity for a place which generates economy as a tourist destination.

Persons with severe mental breakdowns and with medieval mind sets act this way. Judge not or be judged. What a shame to lynch a girl in a Bikini, not even in strict Islamic countries its done,Really !

@ Jeremy N Grech

So, according to you, when does a bikini stop being a bikini and become something pornographic? Can you enlighten us?

So-called "indecency" like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"In the United States, clothing-related laws are set by state and local governments. A variety of different offenses, such as "indecent exposure", "public lewdness", "public indecency", "disorderly conduct" and so on, may require exposure of a specific body part (genitals, buttocks, anus, nipples on women), a specific intention or effect (being sexually suggestive, offending or annoying observers). In some cases, a member of the opposite sex must be present. In Florida, designated nudity areas are given an explicit exception. There are also some specific prohibitions against sexual acts, such as having sexual intercourse in public, or publicly caressing someone in a sexual way. In Indiana and Tennessee, there are specific prohibitions against showing a noticeably erect penis through clothing, or other sensitive areas through semi-transparent clothing. In some states, indecent conduct can also occur on private property, depending on the intent or effect of the act. In some cases there are exceptions for spouses, breastfeeding, and in New York, theatre performances. In most states, there is a governing state statute which defines the offence;. Some local governments also regulate personal exposure, as well as commercial activities such as strip clubs" Cut and pasted. USA mind you !

Are we serious? Really? Are we serious? Please tell me it's a joke!

@ Jeremy N Grech
Seems like you are suggesting that there is nothing wrong with ladies moving around with two tassel bits on their boobs and a tapasexo, just like they do during carnival in Brazil. Bet you consider that very comfortable!

Yesterday I was near a pool and I had a girl - a maltese one who is also a mother, running around the pool al the time in a tiny swimsuit with her behind coming out of the swim suit constantly because it was so small that material could not make it to cover it. In another occassion I was in Kemmuna and I had a topless 65-70 year old russian woman near me. It was disgusting. There was one thing to do turn my head the other way and move but it's non sense trying to rage on these people. The more attention you give them the more they do it.

Can someone please enlighten me. Are we in the 1950s or 2010? I lost the date please.

What a shame of a country and what a shame on people. No one is able to mind his own business. Maybe she was afraid her husband would look at her. Maybe she is not aware of how much worse we see on TV (Oh but that's not a problem because no one sees what we're watching on TV late at night).

Grow up, get a life!!!!!

maybe for some of the people here this girl may have been 'indecent' however who are we to judge? she is only here to enjoy her holiday and want it or not she is free to wear what the hell she wants without having to face the daily judgment of the maltese nation. if you don't like someting just turn your head around, being arrogant and acting like a know-it-all will take you to now where. even though we have one culture here, it's full of different life styles including fashion. some people prefer to cover up, others like to show a bit more, fair enough you don't approve of their style (maybe a lot more dont approve of yours) but leave everyone to live their life, don't we all have a lot more important things to worry about? :)
now if religion has to be involved in this too, I thought we are the a catholic nation not a close minded nazi nation :p

can anyone please explain me what is wrong in wearing bikini in a square?! Seriously now? what is this getting to? what a shame on maltese people. bleh

I see it from an angle of "good tastes". Even visitors should acquaint themselves with what is acceptable. Once the mayor of San Remo Italy banned bathing attire away from the beach. There is a time and place for everything. The reaction may have been excessive, and could have been more polite. That is also good taste. I do not know the nationality of the student, but I am sure that even in her country there is a "dress code". Would she go on a bus like that ? This is not a question of morality or being old fashioned. Just proper at the right time, and on the other side, properly handling foreigners who are given the benefit of the doubt that they do not know.

Fair enough, the woman mentioned in the article is described as 'mature' (ironic considering her infantile behviour). This could be a possible indication of the socially conditioned, old fashioned mentality she has developed over her years. Regardless, everybody is entitled to their own opinion of what is to be considered decent or indecent attire.

But honestly, who does this woman think she is? Her mother? And what about the mob that joined forces with her, who have been described as what i could only imagine to be deranged hyenas? Did they honestly feel so invested in the welfare of the Maltese community that they could not resist the need to publicly intimidate and bully this poor girl? Really?

This is just so typical of the interfering and prying nature of the maltese people, always looking for a reason to moan. Or in this case, mock and taunt.

It would have been a laughable incident if the woman gave her performance solo. But an orchestra of violins supporting her? How embarrassing.

Mr Crockford, i hope you read my previous comment in the light-hearted spirit it was intended; incidentally, since you state that you do not condone the girl's attire, were any strategic parts of her body unclad, ie. was her Lato B a sight for sore eyes? I mean there are bikinis which are no different from what some ladies usually wear on a Saturday night in Paceville and then there are the so-called Belen Rodriguez bikinis. Not that i would know too much about this; simply asking and laughing my head off.

If the girl was wearing a bikini at the beach in Balluta, that would have been a different story, but not in the square. Foreigners should adapt to our way of living. We Maltese do the same whenever we go abroad. Another thing we don’t know is whether the girl said or did some indecent gestures in reply to the woman who ran towards her.

Maybe these women should not have acted in the way they did but sometimes these brazen foreign students just ask for it.

Turists must be told that they can wear all the bikinis they want when swimming or by the sea . Walking about in our streets in barely there bikinis is another matter and should not be allowed.

I can't believe that Maltese people can be so inhospitable. rgalea is correct in saying that Taliban women don't wear a Burka. Who are the Maltese to tell this lady how to dress and act when all the Maltese do is curse, cheat on their significant other and participate in corrupt and illegal activities. If the Maltese want to be a part of the EU and have tourism as the dominate part of our economy then the whole country should move into the 21th century and be tolerant to other people's way of life, because we the Maltese are far from pure and perfect.

How odd, for a girl, likely from a country where being topless on a beach is normal, might think it's ok to be standing in a bikini a 40 second walk from the sea.

Now let me guess... all those hurling names in her direction go to Mass every Sunday. This country makes me sick.

I'm more surprised with the comments this article has received than the ignorant locals themselves. As the article states, this young girl was clearly making her way back from the beach, due to the location and threats from the public such as "throwing her into the sea".
These are most likely the very same people that consider todays fashion "shameful" yet turn a blind eye to anything that goes on behind church doors.
@ Anna Farrugia...The fact that you feel the need to compare Malta to a Muslim country is beyond me. There is a fundamental difference in scope between europeans and muslims, so I won't go into this any further.
Such events go to show how primitive the Maltese can be in their ways of thinking and approaching such situations. Sometimes its hard to believe we form part of the EU.

Another sad, sad day for this country.

Oh come on all of you, what's wrong with you lot? She wasn't naked! She was in a Bikini. Are so so hypocrite? As the article says it all: it was the "mature" woman's attitude that was totally indecent, shameful and rediculous!

Hadn't I witnessed something really similar a couple of years ago I would not have believed this.

We need a government that makes any practice of the catholic religion and its teachings illegal.

Adam and Eve, not Even, sorry

While in no way condoning the young lady's skimpy attire away from the beach, I must admit that I am much more 'offended' by the sight of middle-aged and older men strutting about along the Front topless, showing off their very often sunburned/ flaccid/ample bellies (and breasts) *shudder* . Could said vociferous defenders of our eyes kindly look at these men as well and get them to cover up? Or is such (lack of) attire only wrong when it is sexually titillating?

Only yesterday I watched a fully clothed woman in NIQAB covering the whole face, except for her eyes,parading up and down Republic Street in Valletta. Now does that make people commenting on this site feel any better!

Since the police seem not to do their job, people had to take action in this case. Maybe it was not the proper way to tackle it, but I as a woman, feel really bad, when I see these young ladies, going around in our cities, dressed in a indecent way, because after all that what it is, no matter if some so called people call this attitude as a taliban thing. It is just not a proper thing to do, in dressing in a bikini if you are not at the beach. Have you ever been to some EU city, and saw somebody wearing a bikini around??? well I have never came across such a thing.
Just wanted to tell the Zabbar police, that also in Zabbar (near the church) I have seen girls in a bikini last week.........

This girl was in Balluta wearing a bikini, so what? it's a place close to the sea as far as I know. once I saw a girl in bikini walking down Bisazza street, so what? she was nice si I thanked God. All these people so called catholics are usually much worse than the so called 'offenders' (in reality they are not offenders), for them being a perfect catholic means going to church (attending Mass would be too much for them) and receiving the Holy Communion. Nothing more nothing less. We'll never learn, wish I was there.

I fail to see what all the fuss is about. Quite evidently this is simply the case of some poor visitor relaxing on a hot summer's day - do we need to debate the motives behind her trying to enjoy a holiday?

As for being indecent I have the readers head out to Paceville on a Saturday night - I think they'd be to find states of dress far worse that those exhibited here to ridicule, all to little effect. - the only indecent thing I can actually think of in this case is the rude and brash way the crowd acted.

Do we want to be an island of closed minded complainers or are we going to wake up and smell the roses. I think it's time for us to realize that people are going to wear what they want to and there is very little we can do about it - and nor should there be.

Btw @Vasilisa - Oh dear...

Granted, wearing a bikini in a place which is not a beach or your home, is a bit of a breach of etiquette. But mobbing someone because of that is pretty excessive. She just showed a bit of skin, for god's sake, and nothing more than what we routinely see on any beach. It's not like she robbed someone. Maybe the mature women in question were a bit afraid that a good looking girl in a bikini would make their husbands's eyes stray too much?

I'd rather see a few more good looking girls in bikinis on our roads, and less potholes, dirt and smoking trucks instead. That would make for a much nicer environment. LOL

If these'tourists' think that they can do whatever they want to,they are wrong:going about in a bikini in a public square is not on:there is the beach for that sort of thing!
I have personally seen 4 foreign 'ladies' on a bustop at Paola sitting on their backsides enjoying the sun while waiting for the tourist bus, in beach clothes.
We are getting a reputation for drunk students who fall out of balconies(maybe they are tripping on their spittle?) and fights because the locals are getting annoyed!

Why is a bikini ok at the beach but indecent on a bench in Balluta - so close to the sea!

What's wrong with girls in bikinis? Looks like the ones that were complaining about here were simply jealous. Really Malta, grow up and join the 21st century, what difference does someone wearing a bikini or not actually make? What difference wether on the beach or 100m away from that beach? As far as I'm concerned, the more bikini girls the better :-)

Would Mr Crockford consider it "indecent" if one had to adopt the normal method used with naughty children - i.e. a good harmless slap on the buttocks?

We need not turists like that... we need rich people to come here and leave their money and ask no questions... in matetr fact... just leave us your money and go home...

All goes to prove taliban women do not necessarily wear a burka.

mmm...the Maltese 'mature' lady had no tactics at all with all her 'wisedom'...of course and because this woman decided to show her 'strength' then the other Maltesers backed her up. Why didn't any of them approach the young 'lady' before hand? Why did these people have to way till she was about to leave? Afraid? mmm...however I wonder if this young 'lady' would have dared dress so in a Muslim country...what would happen then.? Why can these people do it in Malta but are petrified and would not even think about it to do it in a Muslim country?

Man lives in shame for as long as for as long as Adam and Even are depicted with a leaf.

Couldn't this 'mature' defender of the faith go up to the young lady and asked her to dress up and explain to her that we are a roman catholic apostolic country? Did she have to create a scene and attract a crowd? meanwhile the pictures taken by the young lady are probably doing the rounds on youtube or somewhere and exposing Malta as the laughing stock of europe.