Published: 22 Jul 11 The Local
On Thursday visitors to a beach on lake Falkträsket, in northern Sweden, witnessed uniformed police turn up and make their way through the sea of towels to question a man in his thirties about his choice of swimwear.The man, who was practising yoga in the sun, was only wearing a thong.
“Did they think he was some kind of a sexual criminal just because he was wearing a g-string?” said holiday-maker Ellinor Perlefelt to local paper Norran.
She was upset by the incident and told the paper she was convinced that it was someone among the other sunbathers that made a complaint to the police.
The police confirmed to Norran that it was indeed some of the beach dwellers that had contacted them after witnessing the man adopt yoga positions in the flimsy attire.
Witnesses to the incident also told the paper how the police took the man with them to the parking area for a short talk. After that the man went back to his towel, got dressed and left the beach.
“It must have been terribly humiliating for him,” said Perlefelt to Norran.
According to the paper the police also questioned people who had been sitting nearby on how they had perceived the situation, to find out if there had been any sexual harassment.
But according to Ellinor Perlefelt the police turning up and questioning the man made for a completely unacceptable situation.
“If people are that worried to see naked skin they really shouldn’t go to the beach,” she said to Norran.
At the police they concur that the incident was perhaps not handled as well as it could have been.
“Of course it would have been better if plain clothes officers could have gone to the beach,” said Johan Karlsson at the Skellefteå police to news agency TT, adding that the thong-wearing man is not under suspicion for any crime.