Claims of unfairness over lower fines for jobless people caught having disruptive outdoor sex

A rule giving Germans on social welfare support caught having disruptive sex outdoors a lower fine than those with jobs is dividing society and needs to change, say the federal employment office.

Sex in parks, beaches or forests is technically legal in Germany, as long as it doesn't offend or disturb people nearby. If a person on Harz IV unemployment benefits is caught offending people with their outdoor sex antics, they face a fine of €34. If they have a job, this rises to €150.



“This sets the wrong incentive and divides society,” a spokeswoman from the BA said. “Everyone is responsible for their own actions and should face the consequences.

“Right or wrong behaviour cannot be classified alongside whether they are or are not a Harz IV recipient,” she added. According to statistics, 234 people were caught and fined in Berlin alone last year, a figure which has doubled in the last three years.