Youth Who Changed On Beach Charged

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32164, 6 December 1969, Page 52

Youth Who Changed On Beach Charged

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, December 5. A New Zealand youth who allegedly changed his clothes on a Sydney beach is to be prosecuted by the Randwick Municipal Council, which last took similar legal action 43 years ago.

The alleged offender, Larry Profit, aged 19, said today that the charge was ridiculous. A beach inspector booked Mr Profit for changing out of a wet swim-suit under cover of a towel at Maroubra Beach. “I thought the inspector was joking when he approached me. I was completely modest at the time,” Mr Profit said today. He said ' pfeople often changed on New Zealand beaches without anybody objecting. “I’m pretty upset over this—l’m not proud'to be the first person summoned since 1926. “I was with two mates and a girl. They certainly were hot offended, and I don’t think anyone else on the beach was, either.

and decided to put a stop to it We are just asking for common sense. We are not going to prosecute the kids.”

A Randwick Municipal Council officer said today that it was hoped to have Mr Profit’s case heard early in the New Year. The officer said the last prosecution of this type was brought against a woman at Clovelly : Beach in 1926. This prosecution was successful.

“It was the first time I had been to Maroubra. It will be the last',’’ Mr Profit said.’ Mr L. Haskins, Maroubra’s chief inspector, said the.prosecution was justified. “More and more people are dressing and undressing on the beaches,” he said. “There has been an increasing permissiveness on the beach. People do what they like, regardless of whom it offends. 1 We’ve seen some fellows take off their trunks and run 20 or 30 yards back to the water to rinse them out. “Under ordinance 52 of the council's regulations changing

on: a beach'was-an offence, whether or not a towel was held round the body,” Mr Haskins said. !‘We had a lot of complaints