Germany prepares to clear gay men convicted under Nazi-era law
Source: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
AFP/DPA/The Local
news@thelocal.de
22 March 2017 12:13 CET+01:00
Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet on Wednesday approved a measure to wipe the criminal records of gay men convicted under a Nazi-era law, and offer them compensation.
The proposal was presented by Justice Minister Heiko Maas, and would offer gay men convicted under the law a lump sum of €3,000 as well as an additional €1,500 for each year they spent in prison and thus "suffered a deprivation of liberty".
The measure marks a triumph for activists after a decades-long struggle to clear the names of gay men who lived with a criminal record under Article 175 of the penal code. An estimated 5,000 of those found guilty are still alive. The legislation must still be approved by the Bundestag (German parliament), where Merkel's ruling right-left coalition enjoys a large majority.
"We can never completely erase the travesty of justice, but we want to rehabilitate the victims," Maas said in a statement.
Read more: https://www.thelocal.de/20170322/germany-prepares-to-clear-gay-men-convicted-under-nazi-era-law-lgbt