Wearing nothing but swimwear in public is a minor criminal offence, but is it enforced?

Giulia Magri Currently there is no law expressly prohibiting swimwear in places other than the beach, although Article 338(q) of the Criminal Code states that any person who “in the harbours, on the seashore or in any other public place, exposes himself naked or is indecently dressed” is committing a minor criminal offence, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Justice has said.

Summer is now in full-swing, with highs of 40 degrees Celsius expected across the island next week. The public is advised to regularly drink water, avoid exposure to the sun and wear light clothing. That last recommendation is sometimes taken to extremes, with some walking around in only their swimwear.

Numerous people have taken to social media to express their concern about the number of people breaking decency laws. Others argue that dressing decently is simply a matter of respect. The Malta Independent on Sunday contacted the justice ministry for clarification on what the law says about wearing swimwear in public areas.

A ministry spokesperson explained that this constitutes a minor criminal offence according to Maltese criminal law. The spokesperson stated, however, that the courts would consider each such case on its own merits.

Back in May, the Lost & Found festival in Buġibba brought not only a number of world-renowned musical acts, but also controversy, as images of scantily clad festival-goers emerged. While the event is said to have injected around €8 million into Malta’s economy, many questioned whether the police had taken any action over this. To date, the police have not replied to questions sent by this newspaper on the number of indecent exposure arrests, if any, made during the Lost & Found festival.

When Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi was asked about the situation, he refrained from directly referring to clothing.