Waylon Johnston
Another four foreign students convicted for skinny dipping
Four Italian students who went for a naked swim in front of about 1,000 people in St George’s Bay early yesterday morning were handed down suspended jail terms a few hours later, with the magistrate stressing the need to retain “decency and decorum” in the country.
The men, Gennaro Origlietti, 20, Mario Coppola, 18, Giovanni D’Elena, 20 and Antonio Merola, 20, stripped off and took to the water at around 3.30 a.m. after a night out drinking.
In court yesterday, standing sheepishly in the dock and craning their necks to listen to an interpreter, the men admitted to offending public morals and swimming naked.
Legal aid lawyer Joseph Ellis told Magistrate Gabriella Vella that following a similar case earlier this week, there had been a plethora of comments questioning if the police were wasting their time arraigning these people.
Interjecting, the magistrate said there was the need to keep “decency and decorum” in the country.
Police Superintendent Stephen Gatt added that if one were to visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome, one would not act irresponsibly, as in this situation.
Inspector Malcolm Bondin said the police had received numerous reports about this incident and that there were some 1,000 people on the St Julians beach at the time.
The reports were made by people who felt insulted by the men’s actions and the inspector asked the court to take this into consideration when handing down judgment.
Magistrate Vella gave the men a one-month jail term suspended for two years and also fined them €100 each.
On Thursday, two young Spanish men were handed down a similar sentence for skinny dipping at the same beach the previous Tuesday, raising a fierce debate among readers of timesofmalta.com as to whether the sentence had been too harsh and whether the two should have been charged at all.
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Enrico Acquaviva D'Aragona
Aug 15th 2010, 13:02
TO JANEA AND SYLVIA.
no reason to reply to you in details; your verbal abuses just highlight a low level of understanding; pride do not justify bad mannerism !
I never said that Skinny Dipping has to be allowed; simply that there is no need to go through court, and a penalty on the spot is enough.(as this is the case in all the other European States)
I still strongly believe that independently of what is right and wrong for you two, I still have the right to express my opinion without the need to be abused. After all Malta is in Europe and not in the Middle East; no reason to be so aggressive against who has different opinions.
I believe that Malta is a beautiful island and by my experience most of the Maltese I met so far have been so nice, open minded and fantastic. My remarks were not to be intended ad derogatory on Maltese laws in general. On the other hands you are a part of The European Union and not the Arab League, so it could be the case that some laws may be revised. Especially those involving personal freedoms. :)
Charles Sammut
Aug 15th 2010, 10:07
Now if the police had ticked them off for getting into the water , at night, while drunk, that would have made sense.
@ Michael Neville Cassar
I don't think that anybody out at 3.30am in St George's Bay would have been scandalised by what must have been 4 'pizellini' under water in the dark!!. What next, cover up all the little naked angels in paintings and statues in our churches? It's bad enough that Neptune's statue in the Palace sproutedd a fig leaf! Get over it.
Michael Neville Cassar
Aug 15th 2010, 09:54
According to some comments we can know allow swimmers to show their penis in front of everyone well, we happen to have a different culture from others . If this is going to be allowed the next thing we will be making erotic love on the beach.
l.zammit
Aug 15th 2010, 09:07
ahjar nidhak milli nibki!
A Attard
Aug 14th 2010, 18:19
Look at the bright side of things - these "Davids" can't hide drugs or bottles of alcohol while in their birthday suit! That should reassure the police that they can turn their attention to other things that really matter.
Erin Ciantar
Aug 14th 2010, 16:49
What a complete waste of time. Don't the police have anything better to do? And don't our law courts have more important cases to handle. Seems like we're turning into exactly the kind of country Adrian Vassallo would like to live in. Iran fil-Mediterran.
Claude Calleja
Aug 14th 2010, 12:43
The Police Force should control our other foreigners, this time unwanted, instead. Such a small country and we already have no go areas, even for the law!
Greig Dawsen - Touring eu.
Aug 14th 2010, 08:58
Its really funny to read these stories, young Italians and Spanish students skinny dipping, only last year we were holidaying in Ibiza and guess what 7 Maltese men and women also at a very young age were skinny dipping 2 in their birthday suit in a fountain in the middle of the town at roughly 04.00 hrs+- it must be the local booze i guess, so this sort of thing happens everywhere especially when away from home. It sounds to me that what goes around comes around.,Actually we were quite amused and they didn't seem to have a care in the wolrd but then again this why people go on holiday to relax and enjoy themselves *within reason ofcourse.* Frankly my dear i just didn't give a damn, we too were on vacation from the states.At that time of the day the area was deserted
Karl Axisa
Aug 14th 2010, 10:15
Ever heard the saying when in Rome do as the Romans do? What might be good for your beloved Ibiza, might not go down so well here in Malta.
Enrico Aquaviva D'aragona
Aug 14th 2010, 11:59
I understand your point Karl, but there are some aspect of the Maltese society that are a bit stacked in the past; this does not means that they are always right or for the good of the country. The conservatism of Malta is dictated by what the catholic Church judge moral or immoral. You are the only country that does not allows divorce ! This does not necessary means it is for the good of the country. Of course skinny dipping is a different things, but it is ridiculous that someone has to go through court for such things. Would not penalty on the spot not enough? I think the issue here is what is moral and immoral for your country (and soon mine !) . You are a republic now and not a Vatican colony. !!
Peter. Braithwaite
Aug 14th 2010, 14:27
Yes ofcourse Karl they're all saints here in beloved Malta, until it comes to the nitty gritty bit concerning the Maltese's bible MONEY ., an example letting in all the foreign students do what they want as long as the fees are paid. Yes Pal? But then again as i say Malta should be crowned with a Halo.
Francios Esteva'
Aug 14th 2010, 16:09
I am afraid if some of the Maltese's attitude is going to linger in the past and walk about as if they were god's gift to mother earth, then i am sorry to say i am glad i only spend my holidays here and not living here permanently, Taking the above students to court for a silly skinny dipping and make an issue out of it as it were some kind of 1st.deg.murder or something and then a drunken driver fatally injures children, ot running over a man on a bicycle or even useing karati tactics then i think there is something seriously wrong with your law. Just expressing a foreigner's opinion. Personally i wouldn't live here if it were paradise as some of the locals tend to trive on. Salut.
Jane Galea
Aug 14th 2010, 16:44
Enrico Aquaviva D'aragona
"I think the issue here is what is moral and immoral for your country (and soon mine !) "
We don't need rubbish.
Sylvia Sammut
Aug 15th 2010, 08:37
Enrico Aquaviva D'aragona If you come here you must obey our laws and customs or else don't come. It is not for you or any other foreigner to tell us what laws we should have or not and you can go and tell it to the marines.
Debbie Rowlings
Aug 15th 2010, 13:07
Sylvia was the Navy involved then, so whats the marines got to do with it? its actually the wrong phrase to use in this case. Ok.. Look Listen and Learn my Maltese friend(?)