Naked man at last has his day in court

A court in Alicante has softened its view on a miscreant who was found guilty of, amongst other things, riding naked on a motorbike in the city.

Initially the prosecution asked for a fifteen month sentence, but a lenient court has only imposed a six month sentence on the relieved man.

As well as being naked in public, the man had been abusive when stopped by the police, resisted arrest, and attempted to kick the police; when bundled into the back of the police car, the still naked man kicked out at the rear windows of their vehicle, apparently causing €163 damage.

Perhaps with tongue in cheek, the police asked the naked man for identification (he was the pillion passenger on the bike), and not surprisingly he was not able to produce any, as he told the arresting officers in his best Spanish. One thing that this case highlights is the apparent massive delay in the Spanish judicial system when bringing even small cases to court.

The incident occurred in May 2006, and yet has only now come to trial, some five years later. With difficulties in the Valencian region, in terms of financial cutbacks within its Courts service, and as reported recently by EWN, delays may yet become even greater in the future.

By Paul Deed