Sexual abuse charity accuses London mayor Sadiq Khan of failing to protect children over naked cycle event
The annual cycling event is organised as a protest to car culture and over-reliance on fossil fuels
Sir Sadiq Khan has been slammed for failing to protect children from a naked cycling event which is set to take place in the capital next month.
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A child sexual abuse charity has claimed the mayor could “do so much more than he does” to protect children from witnessing nudity during the cycling event.
The World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) will see cycling enthusiasts travelling naked across London in protest of car culture and oil dependency.
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Emma Jane Taylor, founder of Project 90-10, pointed out that typically, indecent exposure would result in arrest, and this event constitutes a legal “grey area”.
She told the Telegraph: “The next day [after the bike ride], if you go and do that, you’ll be arrested. How come on this day it’s had the green light?”
The event has previously been met with criticism for failing to formally register participants and for not properly supervising the route to protect children from witnessing it.
Ms Taylor has initiated a petition, calling on the government to reform the event’s legal and safeguarding policies and has asked for the mayor’s support in doing so.
She told the paper: “The mayor could do so much more than he does, and he just doesn’t do enough when it comes to protecting children and families and having sensible conversations.
“I’ve contacted his office several times; not once has he engaged in a conversation.”
The WNBR organisers insist that the event aims to celebrate body positivity, rather than to cause alarm or distress.
Ms Taylor has said she believes body freedom is “really important” but maintains that it’s not necessary in public.
WNBR has hit out at Ms Taylor’s petition, pointing out: “We understand that she is a social media influencer who promotes body fitness and good looks.
“This is the type of harmful influence that we campaign against in the body positivity theme of WNBR,” they went on.
A spokesman added: “Our body positivity/body acceptance theme is all about having a sensible attitude to the human body instead of suffering from the angst of body image and peer pressure for abnormal sexual activity. We all have bodies, we are all different, and that’s OK.”
Security has reportedly been tightened ahead of the event, with increased numbers of Marshalls deployed to man the event’s route.
Last year, the event made headlines when a local binman mistook one of the event’s participants, Robert Brown, for a “pervert” and punched him off his bike.
The 59-year-old was cycling naked through Colchester, Essex, when he was knocked off his bike by Lee Turnage.
Turnage was later handed a suspended prison sentence for causing actual bodily harm. He was also handed 15 rehabilitation days, 75 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £2,000 in victim compensation.