While some states have laws on public nudity and sex, other countries have different rules. For instance, some cities are fine with couples getting it on in public parks as long as a third party doesn’t file a complaint.
In most states, touching private body parts in public is against the law, including genitals, buttocks, and breasts. The specific laws vary by state, but they are usually under indecent exposure or lewdness laws.
Germany
In Germany, public sex is legal as long as you don’t infringe on other people’s privacy. That means it’s fine to whip out your tackle and jiggy in the woods or a local park, but not so much if you’re invading someone else’s privacy by spying on them through anything from a hidden webcam to a peephole in the wall. If you’re caught with your pants down, you can be punished by up to two years in prison and a fine.
Prostitution is legal and regulated in Germany, Switzerland, Greece, and many other countries across Europe. Most cities have red-light districts, and some even have regulated brothels that pay taxes and follow certain rules. However, many sex workers are unregistered because they only work for a short period of time and don’t want to have “sex worker” on their resume.
The country is also one of the few places where being topless in public isn’t considered an indecent act. This is due to a 1991 case in which Gwen Jacob was found not guilty of violating section 173 of the Criminal Code for walking down a street in Guelph, Ontario, while topless. The court ruled that because her nakedness was not a sexual act or indecent, it did not constitute an offence. The rule has been in place since then.
Mexico
When you think of Mexico, you might think of tequila-fueled parties and souvenir shops. However, the country is also home to a city that has just made it legal for couples to have open sex in public. That’s right, under a new city law, police won’t be able to ticket or arrest anyone who chooses to get it on in public places such as parks or cars. The only way cops will be able to report sexual acts in public is if someone officially files a complaint.
According to reports from NBC, the city of Guadalajara recently revamped its laws to allow consensual sexual acts in public as long as nobody else complains. The law was proposed by a Citizen Movement councillor named Guadalupe Morfin Otero. She said the reforms will prevent police from extorting young people who are engaging in “immoral acts of exhibitionism” on public roads. She cited a survey that found 90 per cent of local students have experienced extortion from officers.
Despite the good intentions of the law, it hasn’t gone over well with some citizens. Critics have argued that the new law will make it easier for pedophiles and rapists to abuse their victims, even in full view of others in parks and streetside vehicles. In addition, critics have warned that the city’s rising homicide rates could force police to shift their attention to more serious crimes instead of people who are simply cruising in the open air or having intimate conversations in public.
Columbia
In Colombia, there are significant formal protections for women victims of sexual violence. However, those who administer justice are often unaware of or do not apply them. This is one of the conclusions of a new study that analyzes for the first time criminal legislation on crimes of sexual violence in Columbia. It also analyzes the obstacles that victims encounter at the judicial level.
Moreover, the Colombian government has begun to take action against people who promote sex tourism. This is because it can put sex workers at risk, and sex tourists could also become carriers of HIV. The study also found that sex trafficking in Columbia is a serious crime, and it can be punished by 13-23 years in prison.
The age of consent in Colombia is 14. This means that individuals who engage in sexual activity with someone younger than that may be prosecuted for statutory rape. In contrast to some other countries, Colombia does not have a close-in-age exemption.
The country has ratified the Inter-American Convention on GBV, and its Article 2 states that sex violence is a form of gender-based discrimination and a violation of human rights. Furthermore, the convention also stipulates that governments should implement and enforce measures to prevent and punish GBV. This includes ensuring that victims receive comprehensive care and support, including financial, social, medical, psychological, and specialized housing.
Guadalajara
Just days after Columbia urged couples to stop public sex, Guadalajara has revamped its laws and made it legal for city residents to get their groove on in parks and cars (so long as no one complains). Under the new law, people can get it on in public without fear of police interference unless someone files an official complaint, reports KNBC. The goal is to allow officers to focus on fighting crime rather than catching people who have no choice but to have sex in public.
The move came after a survey found that amorous university students in the city had been harassed and extorted by crooked cops over sexual intercourse and exhibitionism on the street, says the councillor who proposed the change. The law isn’t a statement on sex rights but an attempt to shift the focus of police away from “petty infringements” in favor of more serious issues, she adds.
The city hopes the new law will give residents peace of mind that they won’t be targeted by pedophiles or rapists for their displays of affection, but critics aren’t so sure. In fact, some say it’s a bad idea as it makes the city more sex-friendly and opens up the door for predators to exploit people in public. “Lowering public morals by allowing people to have sex in the park is the same as outlawing miniskirts,” says a columnist in the newspaper Reforma.
