'Mooning' and streaking banned in Australian state of Victoria
But officials maintain public exposure has always been illegal
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Your support makes all the difference.Legislation banning 'mooning' and streaking has been introduced in Australia.
An individual exposing themselves in public can now be punished by two months in jail, while those caught repeatedly flashing could receive a sentence of up to six months.
A clause will be inserted into the Summary Offences Act 1966 and will criminalise "behaviour that is indecent offensive or insulting includes behaviour that involves a person exposing (to any extent) the person's anal or genital region".
Officials said that while public exposure had always been a crime, the law had been changed in order to distinguish rowdy or anti-social behaviour from a sexual offence.
“Sexual exposure is of course a much more serious offence,” Attorney General Martin Pakula told local outlet 3AW.
“We don’t want a situation where someone who might streak at the cricket is funnelled into the same category as someone who might jump out in front of a 13-year-old girl and flash.
“They’re very different types of offences and the legislation for the first time makes that clear.”
The change – which passed in Parliament with widespread support - was made as part of wider reform of sexual offences legislation, which has adjusted more than 50 crimes.
According the Victoria State Government, the overhaul is primarily intended to better protect children from abuse and to update laws which are not in synch with modern technology and new consequent ways of offending.
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