Good grief!

I hope the thought police never see my old photo of my son when he was around 2, standing in my big boots.. with a bike helmet on...and nothing in between. His little pecker clearly visible!

I'm thinking this homeless bloke might have enjoyed the sense of company he gained through some images of happy children.

This all does seem like a storm in a teacup.
However, as a parent, I have to be honest
and admit that I would feel a slight unease
of a total stranger taking photos of my young children
in a public place.

I believe that the parents did tell police the man
was acting rather strangely.

Perhaps if he had asked for their permission to photograph,
things might have ended differently.

I guess there's a lesson to be learned from this experience.
Ask first, photograph later?

Foxy, you wrote;

“I have to be honest and admit that I would feel a slight unease of a total stranger taking photos of my young children in a public place”

I share your concern. But that’s where it gets a bit tricky. If the media can get right up in your face and take photos, then why can’t people take photos if they are standing back and not annoying you?

I can think of a bunch of more annoying things that people do all the time in public places. Just because it makes us feel a bit uneasy shouldn’t mean that it should be unlawful.

Whatever the case, there can be no excuse for the police branding such photos as pornographic and then charging someone on that basis.

That is the most disgusting perversion of the law and a rank abuse of police powers to interpret the law in that manner. If we are to believe the media article brought to our attention by Houellebecq at face value, then I would suggest that serious action needs to be taken against the police involved.

Dear Ludwig,

I agree, the involvement of the law in this case
is excessive.

However, media, or private individuals, I would
not want anyone taking photos of my young children
for whatever reason, without my permission.

But, that's just me. And I certainly would not bring
the law into it if they did.

Hmm,
6 months back we went to Europe, and wherever we went for a swim, whether in a public pool or in lakes, people did wear clothing or they didn't, male and female alike. There was no secret police around
and not needed, as this is obviously accepted by those societies (French, German, Netherlands). In art galleries naked bodies are shown in all age groups. Sometimes we saw children playing naked in the streets up to an age of estimated six, without people making any fuss of it.
Our problem is, that we are mindwise very much like Americans, with an intellectual level anywhere stuck in the medi evil times.
We were born naked, and sexuality is the onliest reason for all of us being here. We don't mind watching third class movies every night, were violence is normal and people are shot and murdered every five minutes. And when asked by the Americans, we will happily join them for another war.
There is nothing wrong at all with naked pictures of children, it all lies in the eye of the beholder.
Cheers m2catter

Interesting comments m2catter. Isn’t it just mindbogglingly absurd as to how we can accept violence, and indeed really graphic violence, as everyday material on our televisions, both fictional in movies and real on the news….and yet balk at nudity.

This treatment of nudity as perverted or offensive in public, or indeed in any situation where you might be able to be seen by someone else, is cutting really close to a mass psychosis!!

Could you please elaborate on your observations of public nudity in Europe. In what situations is it acceptable? How common is it? Thanks