Oktoberfest operator hands out cycling shorts to stop upskirting
The operator of Munich's Teufelsrad ride has distributed free cycling shorts to women after thousands of upskirting videos circulated online.
Elisabeth Polaczy runs the Teufelsrad (Devil's Wheel) at Oktoberfest and has handed out more than 100 free cycling shorts to women and girls this year to protect them from people filming under their skirts.
Thousands of voyeuristic videos have circulated online after being filmed on the ride. Some videos have been viewed millions of times, and at least 32,000 such videos are in circulation overall.
One woman earned €9,000 from a single clip. Filming under skirts is illegal in Germany and carries a two-year prison sentence.
But critics say the law has a gap: it only applies when someone actively films under a skirt, not when a skirt flies up naturally. Police arrested one person for upskirting at this year's festival; there were 10 arrests last year.
- 32,000
- Videos in circulation
- over 100 pairs
- Cycling shorts given out
- 9,000 euros
- Earnings from one video
- 2 years
- Prison sentence in Germany
Why it mattersThe scale of upskirting videos at public events reveals how widespread the problem is and how limited current legal protections are in some countries.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but the strategy could inform how Australian festivals and events address upskirting and protect attendees.
Corroborated bytheguardian.com
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 57 min ago
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