"It's about as extreme as it g

- advertisement -

- advertisement -

From New Zealand's Bay Of Plenty Times:

Tauranga's James Marx was so outraged by an offensive message brandished on another man's T-shirt he complained to police.

Papamoa police now want to find the man.

The T-shirt was blank on the front but had "Jesus is a C***" plastered in 10cm-high letters on its back.

Mr Marx, a hypnotherapist, told the Bay of Plenty Times he did not think a T-shirt could get any more offensive and it prompted him to immediately report it.

The complaint follows an uproar against the controversial South Park episode depicting a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding. New Zealand's Catholic bishops have urged parishioners to boycott C4, a sister-channel of CanWest-owned TV3.

There have also been weeks of violent global protest by Muslims over the publication of cartoons showing Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

Mr Marx said: "He was just walking around Papamoa Plaza and no one was doing anything about it so I popped into the station. We found that there was no law in New Zealand to stop people walking around with offensive language on their clothing.

"I wasn't so much offended by the word, I was more offended by the whole message... It is terribly offensive to anyone. It's about as extreme as it gets."

Two of the Bay's specialty T-shirt screen printing businesses both said they would refuse to print that particular message and other offensive language requested by individuals.

Printex Screen Printing and Colourworks Textile Printers both have policies in place to refuse these types of requests.

Colourworks director John Heyworth said staff would turn away a customer once every six months for this reason.

"There is no way we would print that and we don't know any business that would. We wouldn't even consider it," he said.

Some shop owners spoken to by the Bay of Plenty Times said there was no way they would order that design.

An online auction website Trade Me seller is selling a T-shirt with the same message released by extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.

This version also includes an offensive graphic on the front of the T-shirt depicting a picture of a nun in a pornographic pose.

Even with the seller's warning of the Jesus comment on the back, there are two queries about the shirt. The seller's comments say that there is no intention to stock any more of this design.

The band's design has previously landed two men in trouble with the law around the world.

Norwich man Dale Wilson, 35, pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated offensive conduct by wearing the T-shirt. He was eventually discharged, told to grow up and ordered to destroy the T-shirt.

In 1997, London man Rob Kenyon was found guilty of committing the offence of Profane Representation under a 1839 Act.

But Papamoa Senior Sergeant John Mills said in New Zealand there was no real charge that could be laid.

Officers were now looking for the man and wanted to "have words" about his fashion sense.

"We would highlight that people are finding it offensive and tell him to refrain from wearing it.

"This is not one where you can just lay a charge, we would need to get permission from the attorney-general to do anything. There is quite a process involved."

Mr Mills said police were interested to hear from anyone else who had found the T-shirt offensive.

Te Puke senior Catholic leader Monsignor Patrick Holland said he would certainly be offended by the T-shirt but questioned what people could do to prevent it.

"We've got high standards we encourage... but we live in a free society, we can't dictate how people live their lives.

"We've got no real control over how each person decides to wear their own clothing. It's a kind of declaration of their attitude to life."

##

To see a censored version of what the shirt looks like, visit THIS LINK in the KNAC.COM SLAYMART.