Drone 'spied on women' as they sunbathed naked in Majorca

It is the first case reported in Spain of a drone allegedly being used to film women
It is the first case reported in Spain of a drone allegedly being used to film women

A group of seven young women sunbathing naked on a boat off the coast of Majorca were allegedly spied on by a drone operated from a nearby luxury yacht, according to police on the Spanish island.

The women, all Majorcan, were relaxing on a boat anchored near the town of Porto Colom on Saturday afternoon when they saw a drone hovering "right overhead" with its recording light on. They then noticed a yacht moored close by on which some men were allegedly pointing at a screen and and laughing.

It is the first case reported in Spain of a drone allegedly being used to film women, according to the Guardia Civil.

But as drone use has surged around the world, so has the controversy surrounding it, with the craft increasingly blamed for accidents, near-misses with airplanes and security alerts, as well as harassment. 

In February, a US woman aimed her gun at drone flown over her balcony by a neighbour, and in 2015 a Bristol 25-year-old reported a craft hovering over her garden as she sunbathed.

The previous year, a woman complained of being filmed by a drone on a beach in the American state of Virginia. It is thought that many such instances may go unreported.

At the time of the alleged incident in Majorca, five of the women were naked, while two were wearing bikinis, local media said.

The group began signalling and shouting at the men to stop filming, but were ignored, according to the police complaint.

They then began to record what was happening on their mobile phones and decided to return to shore. Back on land, they alleged, crew members from the yacht approached them and offered them money to go out to dinner "at a good restaurant", with the apparent aim of dissuading them from taking action. The proposal was declined.

Guardia Civil sources told ABC that the complaint had already been passed to a judge who would assess whether the actions constituted a crime against privacy. They are also investigating whether the drone was licensed.

The accused man is reportedly of French nationality and had a drone onboard to film a regatta taking place that day in the area.

He allegedly told the women he had erased all the images of them, but they were not able to verify his claim. 

Experts have urged stronger regulation for the drone sector, which has ballooned in Spain with more than 2000 operators registering in less than three years. 

Drone use is already restricted over urban areas, beaches, parks and other places where people congregate. That that has not prevented illegal flying, however: since then, the Aviation Security Agency AESA has handed down more than 60 fines totalling more than 430,000 euros.

But with legislation struggling to keep pace with technology, many say more clearer rules are needed for the growing number of eyes in the sky.

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