# Public masturbation ruled legal in Sweden **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073 "2013-09-17T17:57:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/41 "2013-09-19T02:29:01Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > We do have laws against public indecency… > > What happened here was that the prosecutor, for some reason, only wanted him tried for sexual assault and never mentioned public indecency, so the court could do noting but acquit him. I have no doubts whatsoever that this case will be taken to the court of appeal and the prosecutor will then change the charges and give some options to the court to choose from. Is there a law against double jeopardy in Sweden? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/42 "2013-09-19T03:10:25Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Is there a law against double jeopardy in Sweden? I doubt they even have that TV show 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/43 "2013-09-19T05:55:01Z")
Maybe he was just feeding the fish. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/44 "2013-09-19T08:45:39Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Is there a law against double jeopardy in Sweden? A case can be tried in a court of appeal if the defense or prosecutor apply for it and, when I think about it, I might be mistaken about the prosecutor being allowed to rephrase the charges. The higher court just examines the evidences put forward, so in this case they will see if there is sufficient grounds to find him guilty as charged. A person can be tried again, though, under certain circumstances, e.g. new evidences are found. One prime example is the infamous story about Thomas Quick: [Thomas Quick - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Quick) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/45 "2013-09-19T18:05:31Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > …A person can be tried again, though, under certain circumstances, e.g. new evidences are found. One prime example is the infamous story about Thomas Quick: [Thomas Quick - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Quick) Interesting. So did he actually know stuff about particular murders that no one but the killer could, did he make stuff up that just happened to be right, did the police improperly feed him details in hopes of closing cold cases, or was something else going on? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/46 "2013-09-19T18:12:27Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > It’s a lake, not the sea as if that would make any difference. Maybe a lake for now but the salinity is going up. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/47 "2013-09-20T09:05:20Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Interesting. So did he actually know stuff about particular murders that no one but the killer could, did he make stuff up that just happened to be right, did the police improperly feed him details in hopes of closing cold cases, or was something else going on? Apparently the police fed him with details and when out at crime scenes he was allowed to change his story of what happened time after time until he got it right. He was also heavily drugged and confessed to everything as long as he got a little funny pill as a reward. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/48 "2013-09-20T20:38:13Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Apparently the police fed him with details and when out at crime scenes he was allowed to change his story of what happened time after time until he got it right. He was also heavily drugged and confessed to everything as long as he got a little funny pill as a reward. Thanks. That’s wrong in so many different ways I’ve lost count. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/49 "2013-09-20T21:54:21Z")
[Blazing Saddles]Excuse me, while I whip this out[/Blazing Saddles] ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/50 "2013-09-20T23:55:13Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Maybe he was just feeding the fish. Shouldn’t he have pan fried it first? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/51 "2013-09-22T03:24:16Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > Shouldn’t he have pan fried it first? Perhaps Stir Fried, in a wok. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/52 "2013-09-22T09:11:06Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > I doubt they even have that TV show 😛 Them’s fightin’ words. We not only had our own version of Jeopardy, but a clearly superior version at that, hosted by the legendary Magnus Härenstam, [seen here playing the role of Hitler in a wacky 70’s comedy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP7camnyge8). Magnus Härenstam \> Alex Trebak, and I’ll challenge anyone who disagrees to a game of _runkbulle_. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/53 "2013-09-23T09:19:07Z")
Halv Liter! Word of advice: You should not accept **Steken’s** challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/54 "2013-09-23T20:49:58Z")
From the quote in the OP: > [@](#): > > “For this to be a criminal offence it’s required that the sexual molestation was directed towards one or more people. I think the court’s judgement is reasonable,” he said. So, if you’re going to wank off on a public beach (especially if there are lots of people around), even if you’re just minding your own, uh, “business”, you need to be damn careful about just which way you point that thing. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/55 "2013-09-24T11:11:53Z")
**Is public masturbation really OK in Sweden?** After our article about the acquittal of a man who was caught masturbating on a public beach in Sweden made a splash in the international media, The Local sorts out fact from conjecture on the subject. > **[The Local - Sweden's news in English](https://www.thelocal.se/404)** > > Daily news from Sweden written in English by native English-speaking journalists. An entertaining blend of Sweden's latest news headlines, politics, sport, business, and features. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/56 "2013-09-25T14:35:27Z")
**We come clean over article quote cock up** Much of the world seems to be under the impression that Sweden now allows public masturbation, likely due in part to a small but crucial error in a quote that appeared on The Local. Managing Editor James Savage sets the record straight. > **[The Local - Sweden's news in English](https://www.thelocal.se/404)** > > Daily news from Sweden written in English by native English-speaking journalists. An entertaining blend of Sweden's latest news headlines, politics, sport, business, and features. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/57 "2013-09-26T16:14:23Z")
[So I guess the party’s not over in Sweden after all](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=693890&highlight=Sweden) ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073/58 "2013-09-26T16:51:01Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Perhaps Stir Fried, in a wok. Wait what now? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-masturbation-ruled-legal-in-sweden/669073.md?page=2)